Now playing on the PGA Tour Champions, Richard Green enjoyed a breakout year in the US, his second placing in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, his fifth runner’s up finish of 2024 seeing the Victorian wind up third on the season-long points list behind just Steve Alker and Ernie Els.
Green collected US$3,137,821 in prizemoney on the year – as well a bonus of US$300,000 on top for his efforts.
Prior to competing on the seniors circuits of the world, Green managed three wins in Europe, highlighted by his victory at the 1997 Dubai Desert Classic, won in a playoff against former World No 1’s Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam. Green also claimed two titles on home soil, including the 2004 Australian Masters.
Before he teed it up in the Charles Schwab finale, Inside Golf’s US correspondent Garrett Johnstoncaught up with Green to chat about his outstanding 2024 season.
How was your time on the PGA Tour Champions in 2024?
I’m just happy that I’ve been able to put myself in contention a lot this year. I’ve shown myself signs that my game’s good enough to compete with the best of them out here. I suppose I just need to keep playing golf this same way so I give myself a chance to try and win again. That’s the overall idea for me.
What do you make of your PGA Tour Champions journey, two seasons under your belt now?
It’s been amazing so far. This Tour is as good a place you can end up in the over 50 crowd, playing anywhere in the world. Being from Australia and trying to consistently continue playing top level golf, this is the best place to do it.
Hands down.
It’s the best competition, the best presented courses, the best tournaments, and the best prize money that you could ever imagine to play for. So I’m very fortunate to be out here and good enough I guess. The process I went through a couple years ago where I went to Q School with no status and won my card was very crazy you just don’t know what’s going to happen. There are only four or five spots at Q School. You’ve got to be on your game to get one of those spots. Thankfully it was a couple years ago and I’m here now and I’m certainly cherishing it and hopefully I’ll hang onto it for another few years.
Despite not recording a tournament victory, Richard Green enjoyed a sensational 2024 season on the PGA Tour Champions.
You had a great year in 2024, how gratifying has the consistency been for you?
It’s very, very rewarding to get some good results based on the amount of work we’ve put in. Year to year, to keep doing it is hard. I hope my form can continue well into 2025 and there’s no reason why it can’t. This year I was a little more familiar with the courses and I knew what to expect, whereas in the first year out in 2023 I was a little surprised, and I was learning the courses each week. It felt a bit exploratory. I was trying to find out how you’ve got to play certain holes and certain shots. Then this year (2024) has been a little bit nicer about knowing what I’m getting into and knowing what kind of course is in front of me. You’ve just got to work hard and you’ve got to be fit.
I’ve been a little down with an injury the last few weeks in my lower back. I’ve done a lot of work with my physic Tyson to get back into playing shape. You’ve got to be 100 percent to play out here with the guys and it’s a hard enough game to play fully healthy, let alone with an ailment.
It’s symptoms that I’ve had before from lifting weight and twisting the wrong way. I think I hurt it after a practice session on the range in September. We’re not getting any younger and I’ve got to learn to pace myself in regards to the work ethic I suppose and make sure I’m fit to play all of the time.
What part of the game does a lower back injury affect the most for you?
Really everything. You feel it standing over the ball. You feel it swinging the club on every shot. It’s a requirement for me to feel fit at all times and ready to play and to go after it hard, so if there’s something that’s a little bit off in my body then it’s very difficult for me to even swing the club. My physic Tyson has been a huge help and kept me in shape throughout the playoffs and now we’ve just got to have a good plan moving forward and hope this doesn’t happen again. You learn from it and then press on.
What have you learned about yourself in your 2024 season when you had four second place finishes (the Schwab Championship was his fifth), being so close to winning?
I guess that I believe that I’m good enough to be out here on the Champions Tour winning with the strong caliber of the players. You’ve got some unbelievable players out here like Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, and Bernhard Langer. All of these guys have been profound winners on Tour over the course of their careers. I may not have won as many times as they have but it’s just nice to come out here and have the sort of game that can compete with them. I’ve got myself into a place of belief where I know I can do it, given the right conditions and the right course, everything hopefully falls into place for a win. That’s probably what I’ll take the most out of 2024, I’ve had so many good results and so many times in contention that makes me feel like I can do it.
What do you expect from your caddie under the pressure of a Sunday when you guys are trying to win?
I expect a lot, actually. I expect him to help keep me thinking straight under the gun. I want him to keep me making the right decisions and talk through the options. We can’t take any decision lightly. We’ve got to be thorough as we talk over a shot and then I’ve got to be very committed to the strike once I get over the ball. It always helps when a caddie is able to keep you in a strong sense of mind.
How often do you get back to Australia these days?
Not enough (laughs). It’s always a long year and I’m certainly looking forward to going home for the offseason. We’ll have a nice break for sure. Can’t wait. I’ll get home at the start of the year and depending on what the golf schedule looks like next year, I’ll be looking for other opportunities to get home. It’s important to pace yourself on this Tour, and when we’re away for a while without any real home base, it’s important to pace yourself when you’re away and look for opportunities to have a rest.
– Twitter: @JohnstonGarrett
Langer – 67 and no sign of slowing down
AT the ripe old age of 67, German Bernhard Langer continued to amaze with another victory on the PGA Tour Champions, this one coming at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
Langer shot rounds of 69-64-67-66, for an 18-under par total, one clear of Australian Richard Green and Kiwi Steve Alker.
The win, his only victory of 2024 and first since the 2023 U.S. Senior Open, earned Langer his record-extending 47th win on PGA Tour Champions from 356 starts. He moved up from 22nd at the start of the week to seventh on the final Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Bernhard Langer’s amazing winning streak continued with a victory at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.
Remarkably it was Langers 18th consecutive year with a win on PGA Tour Champions, dating back to his debut season of 2007.
The victory also extended his record as the oldest winner in PGA Tour Champions history, at 67 years, 2 months, 14 days and his 14th win since turning 60 years old, a number which alone would rank tied 18th on the over 50’s tour for all-time wins.
It was Langer’s first win at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 16 appearances, with a previous best finish of second, and it was the 25th different tournament on PGA Tour Champions that he has won.
In the last round of the Schwab Cup in Phoenix, Langer shot his age or better for the third consecutive day and 23rd time overall on PGA Tour Champions.
Before joining the senior tour, Langer was twice a major champion, winning the US Masters on two occasions, while also claiming 42 tournament victories in Europe.
McKenzie never in front at Thurgoona – until it mattered most
Victorian David McKenzie struck the perfect shot to within tap-in distance in birdieing the final hole to win the NSW Senior Open played at the Thurgoona Country Club near Albury.
The Victorian carded a closing five-under-par 67, for a 12-under-par total to beat third round leader Mat Goggin by one shot.
“At the time, you’re never really sure what’s going on around you, so in the end, even when I hit it into about a foot and a half, it still seemed a bit far away for my liking,” McKenzie joked of his 9-iron approach on the final hole.
“They’re hard to win. I’ve had a lot of chances a lot of times and haven’t got it done. And the times I have won, I’ve won well and going away so it was good to get one in a close (finish).
Scott Barr and Peter Lonard shared third another shot back.
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