CALGARY — After winning three times on the PGA Tour Champions circuit last year, Jerry Kelly has yet to find a way to return to that same form this season.
The 56-year-old golfer from Madison, Wis., would like nothing more than to break out of his slump by defending his title at the 2023 Shaw Charity Classic, which runs from Friday to Sunday at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.
"I hope so," said Kelly, who beat John Huston in a one-hole playoff to win last year’s Shaw Charity Classic. "I’ve been injured and not feeling that great. I haven’t been able to drum up as much as I normally would like to, so I’d like to get in the mix again and get that blood flowing."
In addition to suffering from turf toe, Kelly has been battling injuries to his wrist, neck and back.
“It’s been a range of everything – just got to keep playing,” said Kelly.
Working in his favour is the fact he's a fan of the par-70, 7,086-hole layout at Canyon Meadows.
“I like the way you have to shape it. I love tree-lined golf courses. You’ve got to move the ball with the fairway. You can’t just blow it over corners at this place. It’s a good shapers’ golf course."
Kelly became just the second player in the 10-year history of the tournament to win in a playoff last year when he drained a four-foot birdie putt on the par-5, 585-yard 18th hole to beat Huston. The other Fred Couples, who beat Andrade in a playoff in 2014.
Kelly and Couples will start Friday’s opening round in a group with former Calgary resident Stephen Ames, who is coming off a win last week at the Boeing Classic near Seattle.
Ames is currently third in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings behind Steve Stricker and Bernhard Langer, neither of whom are in Calgary for the three-day event.
“I love this course,” said Couples, who will undoubtedly be one of the fan favourites. “I really like the whole tournament. The people come out. It’s probably one of the top three tournaments for fans and galleries, which is always fun.”
Couples is one of four World Golf Hall of Famers at the event, along with Mark O’Meara, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh.
At 63, he still enjoys competing to win tournaments in front of fans.
“For me personally, it just kind of keeps lingering and people want to watch you play, they want to rally behind you,” said Couples. “And I still have enough people. I’ll be playing with Stephen Ames and Jerry Kelly. There will be a lot of people rooting for Stephen Ames, but I’ll get my share, and I’ll let Jerry Kelly worry about himself.”
While Kelly and Couples are playing in Calgary for the fifth and sixth times respectively, Steve Alker, of Hamilton, New Zealand, will be making his Shaw Charity Classic debut.
“I wanted to play last year, but I couldn’t – I was doing some visa stuff,” said Alker, 52, who’s currently fourth in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after winning the season-long competition last year. “I played the Canadian Tour years and years ago. I love coming up here. I was available this year and the schedule worked out, so I love to be here.”
Due to the potential of high winds and bad weather on Friday, tee times were moved up to earlier in the morning so that the first round can finish up by 3 p.m. MT.
“The weather’s going to be against us a little bit over the weekend,” said Alker. “I’m from New Zealand. We’re used to that. If things soften up, you’ve got to be pretty aggressive, so just make some birdies and go low.”
This year’s event will also feature four other previous winners in Wes Short Jr. (2019), Scott McCarron (2018, 2017), Carlos Franco (2016) and Jeff Maggert (2015).
“The field’s awesome,” said tournament executive director Sean Van Kesteren. “We didn’t get a single withdrawal after the field closed, which is unusual for any tournament on the PGA Tour.”
The 78-player field also includes PGA major winners John Daly, Darren Clarke, Lee Janzen, Corey Pavin, David Toms, Y.E. Yang and Canadian fan-favourite Mike Weir, of Brights Grove, Ont.
“I’d love to play well here and put myself in contention,” said Weir, who’s playing in Calgary for the third straight year since turning 50. “I think I played pretty good the first year. Last year I didn’t play so well, so hopefully I’ll rebound and get myself in contention here.”
Two other Canadians will tee it up in Calgary. David Morland IV, who’s originally from Aurora, Ont., will make his fourth consecutive appearance at the event, while Alan McLean of London, Ont., is back for the second straight year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2023.
Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press