Impressive PGA Tour Champions debut for Richard Green
Richard Green – file photo
Australia’s Richard Green, on debut as a card holder on the PGA Tour Champions, has finished an impressive 3rd behind Canadian Stephen Ames at the Trophy Hassan 11 event at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course in Rabat in Morocco.
Green’s final round of 70 was the second best of the final day and will secure a cheque for US$110,000 to get his PGA Tour Champions career underway.
Interestingly he finished behind Ames and Green’s fellow Australian Mark Hensby who is playing without full status on the PGA Tour Champions but who has earned US$176,000 for his runner-up finish, albeit five shots behind Ames, although at one stage today the margin was just one.
Green led the qualifiers at the most recent PGA Tour Champions Tour School after winning the First Stage of qualifying so it appears he is on course for a very successful career at this level.
“It feels awesome,” said Green. “It feels like a long career and maybe some deserved results around this course. I came here for a long time with the European Tour and played. Never really played that well, but had some tough days and I feel like this week has been a bit of a reward for patience.
“It’s confidence building. I tend to build confidence in my game through results, not necessarily hitting balls on the range. Get a certain amount of confidence out of that, but the results are what really elevate my belief in myself. Just keep rolling it, like hopefully riding the crest of the wave, that’s the plan.”
Hensby was also delighted with his best finish on the PGA Tour Champions in eleven starts. He did finish 3rd at the US Senior Open last year and earned a bigger cheque but this is a very satisfying way to start the year as he builds his way to full status and many more starts.
Courtesy of his finish Hensby is guaranteed a start in next week’s Chubb Classic in Florida.
“Yeah, good. I mean, not being in contention in a long, long time, so obviously I felt like I handled myself pretty well. But no, next week should be hopefully getting to the same boat and have a chance to win again.
Hensby, a former Presidents Cup player and winner on both the PGA and European Tours, took the punt on a costly trip to Morocco and it has paid off.
“Yeah. I mean, this was a very personal decision and it’s just, it’s one of those things that no doubt. I mean, you know, to make whatever I made today, I’d have to work two years to make what I made today. I love golf, I enjoy it and I enjoyed today a lot even though I didn’t win. Being under the pressure that’s what you practice for. That was fun, that was fun.”
Ames has now been a winner of three events on the Champions Tour since joining it six years ago. The former winner of and runner-up in the Players Championship and three other PGA Tour titles during his lengthy career is now 58 but the manner in which he led from go to whoa in this event and won by five suggests more is in store.
