ENDICOTT, N.Y. – Mike Weir had reason to celebrate on Sunday. Competing in the Dicks Sporting Goods Open, the 52-year old made a pair of birdies down the stretch to finish T2 for his best result on the PGA TOUR Champions this season.

Padraig Harrington won the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open for his second PGA Tour Champions victory of the year.

Harrington closed with a 5-under 67 at En-Joie Golf Club for a three-stroke victory over Mike Weir and Thongchai Jaidee.

“Unusual for me, no drama, no real drama,” Harrington said. “Normally, I create something coming home. … Got the right breaks at the right time, holed the right putts and played nicely.”

A stroke behind Weir entering the day, Harrington birdied Nos. 2, 3, 9, 11 and 12 in a bogey-free round to finish at 16-under 200.

The 50-year-old Irishman won the U.S. Senior Open in late June at Saucon Valley. He also has four runner-up finishes and a tie for third in 11 starts this year.

Weir shot a 71, and Thongchai had a 66.

“It’s fun. You’re just thinking birdie, you’re just thinking middle of the fairway, get me in the fairway because my iron game is good and the putter’s finally starting to heat up for the first time this year,” said Weir, following Saturday’s second round. “I was kind of champing at the bit for more holes.”

The Canadian scrambled out the gates on Sunday, bogeying two of his opening four holes but regained his rhythm with a birdie on No. 8 to move back to even par on the day.

After another dropped shot on No.10, the lefty responded with birdies on No. 12 and No. 16 – with the help of a tree, no less – to establish himself in a tie for 2nd place.

Jim Furyk (68) and Vijay Singh (69) were 12 under, and 64-year-old Bernhard Langer (68) followed at 10 under with Darren Clarke (69), Ken Tanigawa (68) and Gene Sauers (70).

CALGARY—Fred Couples and John Daly are coming back to Calgary and bringing with them the top rookie on the PGA TOUR Champions, Padraig Harrington,  for the 10th anniversary celebrations at the 2022 Shaw Charity Classic presented by Suncor, August 1-7.

The trio of major winners – Fred Couples (1992 Masters), John Daly (1995 Open Championship, 1991 PGA Championship), and Padraig Harrington (2008 PGA Championship; 2008, 2007 Open Championship) – are the first to add their names to the tee sheet when the PGA TOUR Champions’ lone Canadian stop makes a full return after operating under a modified structure and ticket price in 2021. The 10th-anniverary of the award-winning community event will feature a string of special events and activities for Calgary golf fans to enjoy for as low as $10.

Couples is the first World Golf Hall of Famer to commit to returning to Calgary.  A crowd favourite since the tournament’s inception in 2013, Couples won the 2014 event in thrilling fashion after a career-best final round 61 that included a chip-in eagle on the 54th hole. Boom Boom got sized up for a white cowboy hat after winning the first playoff hole over Billy Andrade.

“Calgary has been a very enjoyable place for me. I have always said, as long as I’m healthy I plan on coming here every year,” said Couples, who has 13 victories on golf’s senior circuit. “The people at Shaw are incredible. The crowds are huge. The course is always in great shape, and I feel like I play it well. There is nothing more a player could ask for. I look forward to getting back and participating during this special year for the tournament.”

A winner of 15 PGA TOUR events, the smooth swinging bomber is remembered most for his 1992 triumph at the Masters Tournament. Once graduating to the senior swing, he made an immediate statement. Finishing second in his first start, he went on to win his next three events, becoming the first player ever to win three of his first four tournaments. Couples has two major championship victories on the PGA TOUR Champions: 2011 Senior Players Championship, and The Senior Open Championship in 2012.

It will be a family affair when Long John Daly makes his first return to the Shaw Charity Classic since his lone appearance in 2016. The two-time major winner will be travelling to Calgary along with his son Little John who will be caddying after recently completing his freshman year playing golf at the University of Arkansas.

One of the most colourful characters in professional sports, Daly is a two-time major champion, a winner of five PGA TOUR titles and one PGA TOUR Champions title who is adored by golf fans around the globe.

The story of how golf’s “Wild Thing” burst onto the international scene never gets old. It was nearly 25 years ago when John Daly was the ninth and final alternate of the 1991 PGA Championship. A 25-year-old rookie, Daly drove halfway across the country the night before his first round at Crooked Stick Golf Club where he eventually went out and won the golf tournament – not to mention legions of fans around the world with his booming drives, deft short game and fearless approach to the game. He backed that up by winning the 1995 British Open at the Home of Golf in St. Andrews.

“I’ve always said I’ve got the greatest fans in the world, and Calgary is no different. No matter what, through thick and thin, they’ve always stuck by me,” said Daly. “This tournament always has huge galleries. There is nothing better than getting it going and having the fans get loud and crazy. That’s just the way I like them so I’m looking forward to getting up to Canada with Little John, and hopefully give the fans something to get loud about.”

Daly and Couples will have to fend off the top name in the PGA TOUR Champions’ rookie class for 2022, Padraig Harrington.

A three-time major winner, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington brings 31 victories worldwide with him to the Shaw Charity Classic. Not only was Harrington the first player from Ireland to win the Claret Jug in 60 years (2007), he was the first European to successfully defend his British Open title in nearly a century the following summer (2008).  A six-time Ryder Cup European Team Member added his third major title to his resume when he also won the 2008 PGA Championship which brought him to third in the Official World Golf Rankings.

“I really enjoy it (playing on the PGA TOUR Champions). I was shocked. I’m substantially longer than the field and yet I got lapped in the first two events,” said Harrington. “These guys were just running by me. I played with Bernhard [Langer] and he made me look like an amateur golfer. It was a lesson for me. If I want to go out there and beat these guys – just because you hit it past them ain’t going to do it. You have to be very good with your wedges and very good with your scoring.”

Three of the biggest names in golf are sure to help tournament officials make a continued impact in supporting the more than 260 youth-based charities benefitting from the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program. Donations can be made by visiting www.shawcharityclassic.com/donatenow.

“Fred Couples, John Daly and Padraig Harrington are three of a handful of players in professional golf who are needle movers,” said Sean Van Kesteren, executive director, Shaw Charity Classic. “Sport is entertainment, and these guys are exactly who fans of any sporting event want to come out and see. They are extremely talented. They still hit the ball a mile, and are colourful characters who are sure to entertain both with their play and while interacting with our loyal fan base.”

Single-day General Admission tickets for tournament play August 5-7, 2022, that are purchased in advance for the award-winning tournament will cost $10 while upgraded Clubhouse tickets purchased in advance will be only $30 (plus GST and fees). Juniors 12 and under are admitted FREE when accompanied by a ticketed adult. The deadline to purchase advanced tickets is July 31, 2022, at 11:59 PM MT. The RBC Championship Pro-Am (August 3-4, 2022) will also be FREE for spectators to attend.

Limited quantities of advance General Admission and Clubhouse tickets are available for purchase at www.shawcharityclassic.com.

Below is a list of how Canadian golfers fared across the major professional tours the week prior.

PGA TOUR

K.H. Lee eagled the 12th hole to take the lead for good on his way to a final round 63 and a one-shot victory over hometown favorite Jordan Spieth at the Byron Nelson. The 30-year-old South Korean joins Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus,  and Tom Watson as the only repeat winners at the event. Spieth finished a stroke ahead of Hideki Matsuyama and Sebastian Munoz. Xander Schauffele had a career-best 61 and tied for fifth with Ryan Palmer and Justin Thomas. …For just the second time this season Adam Svensson shot the same score in three of the four rounds played

NEXT EVENT:  PGA Championship (May 19)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes,

LPGA TOUR

Minjee Lee made her only three birdies on the back nine of the final round but it was enough to hold off Lexi Thompson by two strokes in the Cognizant Founders Cup. It was her first victory of the year and seventh career LPGA title. Thompson, looking for her first LPGA Tour win since 2019, rallied from three down to grab a share of the lead with a birdie on No. 10. However, she closed with six straight pars for a final round 69. It was Thompson’s second runner-up finish in six events.

NEXT EVENT: Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play (May 25)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Maude-Aimee Leblanc

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Steve Stricker went wire-to-wire for a six stroke victory at the Regions Tradition, his fourth PGA Tour Champions major title. It was his second Tradition win and came in his third event since returning from a six-month absence due to health reasons. Paidrag Harrington bridied the final two holes to finish in second place. Steven Alker was in a five-way tie for third. He has finished four straight tournaments in the top three, winning twice. …Mike Weir snapped a streak of two straight top 20 finishes. …Stephen Ames posted his lowest result in eight starts this year

NEXT EVENT: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship  (May 26)

CANADIANS ENTERED: TBA

KORN FERRY TOUR

Anders Albertson two-putted for birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Korn Ferry Tour points leader Carl Yuan in the Visit Knoxville Open. It was his first tour win since 2018. It was the sixth time in the first 12 events this season the margin of victory was one stroke, while another three events were decided in a sudden-death playoff. …After finishing 15 under par in his first event, Albin Choi is a combined 17 under par in his last four weekend starts

NEXT EVENT: AdventHealth Championship (May 19)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Albin Choi, Stuart Macdonald, Ben Silverman

EUROPEAN TOUR

Sam Horsfield carded a final round 68 to win the Soudal Open by two strokes. It was his third European tour title, and first since 2020. Ryan Fox, the overnight leader, needed a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff but made bogey to finish in a tie for second with Yannik Paul. Horsfield is two weeks into his return to the tour following a three-month injury layoff. There were no Canadians entered in the event.

NEXT EVENT: Dutch Open (May 26)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Former Masters champion Mike Weir won his first PGA Tour Champions event Sunday when he held steady with pars down the stretch for a 4-under 68 and let John Daly made the last mistake in the Insperity Invitational.

Weir and Daly were tied going down the stretch at The Woodlands, which was reduced to 36 holes because of heavy rain earlier in the week.

Daly, playing in the group ahead of Weir, was posing over his 9-iron over the water to the 18th green when it came up a fraction short and splashed next to the bulkhead. He made double bogey for a 69 and had to settle for runner-up.

Weir, who missed birdie chances inside 10 feet on the 16th and 17th holes, watched it all unfold and knew what he had to do. He fired his approach to about 15 feet behind the hole, and pumped his fist as he walked toward the green. He wound up winning by two shots.

Because of rain that washed out the opening round Friday, the first round wasn’t finished until Sunday morning and the tournament was reduced to 36 holes. That turned it into a shootout, and Daly and Weir provided most of the action.

Daly holed a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th to take a two-shot lead, and it looked as though he was on his way. In the next group, Weir hit his approach to 3 feet on the 13th for a matching eagle to tie for the lead again.

Weir fell back with a bogey on the 14th, but he caught a break when Daly missed his 3-wood into the par-5 15th and had to settle for par, and Weir made birdie to catch him again.

Weir fell back with a bogey on the 14th, but he caught a break when Daly missed his 3-wood into the par-5 15th and had to settle for par, and Weir made birdie to catch him again.

Daly couldn’t believe he hit into the water on the final hole.

“I caught a gust on 18,” he said. “I hit a 9-iron from about 155 and I hit a 9-iron from 141 there and I caught a gust and just got a bad break. But I can’t hit the ball any better. I’m excited about next week.”

The 50-and-over circuit plays the first of its five majors next week at the Regions Tradition.

Weir finished at 10-under 134.

Daly tied for second with David Toms and Tim Petrovic, who each closed with a 71. Bernhard Langer (69) and Bob Estes (68) tied for fifth.