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The Iowa resident brought a decorated résumé with him to PGA TOUR Champions — 12 PGA TOUR victories, the 2007 Masters, the 2015 Open Championship and a turn as U.S. Ryder Cup captain in 2023.

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Still, the senior circuit has clearly given him a jolt.

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“I am invigorated to go out there and, you know, not take a head cover off on a par 4,” Johnson said with a chuckle. “I’m not taking it for granted. I feel like I’ve earned my diploma, and I’m gonna make the jump to greener pastures, more or less.”

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So far, he has looked plenty comfortable in those greener pastures.

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And Calgary gets him at just the right time to watch him — perhaps — rip up Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club.

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“This is a huge win for our tournament, golf fans in Alberta and, most importantly, the Calgary community,” said Sean Van Kesteren, executive director of the Rogers Charity Classic. “Padraig is one of the game’s great champions and continues to play incredible golf, while Zach has been the hottest player on PGA TOUR Champions in his rookie season.”

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That is the selling point.

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Johnson gives Canyon Meadows a current-form star, not just a famous name.

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Harrington does both.

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The Irishman, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2024, sits one spot behind Johnson in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after winning the U.S. Senior Open and adding five more top-five finishes this season. A 12-time PGA TOUR Champions winner, Harrington owns 42 professional victories worldwide.

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He also brings major championship weight.

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Harrington became the first Irishman in 60 years to win The Open Championship when he captured the Claret Jug in 2007, then successfully defended it in 2008. Later that same year, he won the PGA Championship for his third major title and rose as high as No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

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Now he returns to Calgary trying to improve on his best Rogers Charity Classic finish — a tie for third in 2022.

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“Calgary is very well known amongst the players as one of the better weeks of the year, so I definitely wanted to come back,” Harrington said. “This event has raised great money over the years, and the community comes out and supports it, which is always so important for an event.

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“The golf course is very pleasant, the greens are excellent, and my game has been in great shape, so I am looking forward to the week.”

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The timing adds intrigue.

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At last week’s Portugal Invitational, Johnson, Cink and Harrington were right there together. Cink finished runner-up to Johnson, with Harrington part of the top-three mix. They also occupy the top three spots in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, with Cink on top on $3,120,808 in 2026.

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Johnson is next with $2,146,780, followed by Harrington at $1,696,684.

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Cink saw it coming, apparently.

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“I think today it came down to Harrington and me and Zach really,” Cink said Sunday after the Portugal Invitational in Algarve. “If you look in a crystal ball, you’ll probably see a lot of that coming.”

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Calgary might see it, too.

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Johnson, Harrington, Langer, Goosen, Singh, Mike Weir, David Duval, Rocco Mediate and Miguel Angel Jiménez are already part of the Rogers Charity Classic picture.

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The final field is still coming.

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But the top contenders have already declared their arrival.

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