Harrington takes one stroke lead after first round of Shaw Charity Classic

Harrington takes one stroke lead after first round of Shaw Charity Classic

CALGARY — Padraig Harrington eagled the final hole at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club on Friday to vault into the lead at the 2022 Shaw Charity Classic.

Harrington was trailing clubhouse leader Kirk Triplett by one stroke before draining a lengthy putt from off the green on the par 5 finishing hole to card Friday’s best round of 6-under 64.

The 50-year-old Irishman had three birdies on the front nine of the par 70, 7,086-yard layout before adding another birdie and clutch eagle on his back nine.

Triplett started his first round of the three-day, 54-hole event on the back nine and rolled in a birdie and an eagle on his first two holes. He added two more birdies on his back nine to finish alone in second at 65.

Paul Goydos and Robert Karlsson both carded rounds of 66 and are in a tie for third, while Matt Gogel and John Huston are one shot back at 67.

Although he bogied his final two holes, Alan McLean of London, Ont., finished as the top Canadian at 2 under. He’s in a 12-way tie for the seventh spot, just one stroke ahead of Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and former Calgary resident Stephen Ames, who birdied his final two holes to shoot 69.

The 73-player field also features three other Canadians.

Mike Weir, of Brights Grove, Ont., and Dennis Hendershott, of Brantford, Ont., both shot even-par rounds of 70 to finish in a tie for 26th spot.

Meanwhile, David Morland IV, who’s originally from Aurora, Ont., finished well back of the leaders at 5-over 75.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2022

Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press