Maggert aims to defend Shaw Classic title against field including Montgomerie

CALGARY — Jeff Maggert will try to jumpstart his PGA Champions Tour season with his second straight Shaw Charity Classic title, but he knows history is not on his side.

Maggert won last year’s Shaw Classic event at the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club after shooting a 6-under 64 in the final round to beat runner-up Colin Montgomerie by four strokes. With an impressive field gunning for the title this year, Maggert knows he has his work cut out for him.

“Everyone thinks just because you’re the defending champion, it’s just going to come in and be an easy week,” said Maggert, who hasn’t won a tournament this year after reeling off four victories last season. “If you look at the history of golf tournaments, rarely does the defending champion repeat. Obviously sometimes they do. If I can do that this week, that would be awesome, because I’m looking to kind of jumpstart the rest of the year for me.”

In order to win back-to-back titles, Maggert will have to fend off challenges from his first-round playing partners Montgomerie and Rocco Mediate, who won the inaugural Shaw Charity Classic in 2013 before finishing in a tie for 19th the following year.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” said Mediate of heading into a tournament as the defending champ. “It means a lot to come back to a place you won at, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to play good here all the time.

closing arguments

Crown refutes self-defence claims for Nanaimo woman on trial for murder/dismembering ex-boyfriend

9h ago

rental rules

Thousands of short-term rentals go back to long-term May 1: B.C. government

12h ago

sweet sounds

Nanaimo woman tries to coax trapped killer calf out of tidal lagoon with her violin

17h ago

“It’s just a great golf course. It’s different this year. It’s a little leaner and the wind’s a little up and it’s going to be not great weather. I think it’ll be fun to play when it’s hard. I don’t mind hard either.”

Whatever the conditions, Maggert is also up for the challenge.

“I’ve played in just about every condition you can imagine,” said Maggert, who noted that the forecasted cold and rainy conditions could result in higher scores on the par-70, 7,086-yard course. “I think the weather forecast will change the character of the course a lot and the way it played the last couple years I was here.

“I don’t think the temperatures are going to be too crazy. The morning might be a little chilly. If it’s kind of a heavy, steady rain all day, that could create some troubles. If it’s just kind of passing showers, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Nine of the top 10 golfers in the Charles Schwab Cup standings will compete at Canyon Meadows from Friday to Sunday, including money leader Bernhard Langer, who finished in a tie for 27th two years ago.

“I just remember not playing my best golf and getting some bad breaks and just not making the putts and not hitting the right shots at the right time,” said Langer, who has made US$2,084,659 in 15 Champions Tour events this year. “I just didn’t get a lot going that week, but I’m here to change that this week.”

The field includes Rod Spittle of Niagara Falls, Ont., Victoria’s Jim Rutledge and Vancouver’s Stephen Ames, a former Calgary resident who ended up in a tie for fifth at 10 under last year.

“Good memories … and that’s basically what I’m going to use from last year coming into this year,” said Ames. “The golf course is again in fantastic shape, which it always has been every year we’ve come here. Again, we have a quality field. I’m playing well, hitting the ball very well, so I’m looking forward to this week.”

While Fred Couples, who beat Billy Andrade in a one-hole playoff to win the 2014 title, was forced to withdraw from this year’s event due to a lingering back injuries, another fan favourite in John Daly will make his Shaw Charity Classic debut this weekend.

“Canadian fans have always been great to me,” said Daly, who has made $164,759 in 11 events so far during his rookie PGA Tour Champions season. “I love them. I’ve had so much fun playing the Skins Game and the Canadian Open over the years. The fans are great, great sport fans here.”

Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press