Couples, Ames and Langer headline Shaw Charity Classic field

Many of golf’s legends will be in Calgary next week for the Shaw Charity Classic, including notables like Canadian Stephen Ames, Masters winner Mark O’Meara, U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, Masters winner Fred Couples and numerous others.

The final field was announced Wednesday at a press conference.

Among those coming to Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club for the second playing of the Shaw Charity Classic are Kevin Sutherland, who recently tied the record in a PGA Tour sanctioned event by shooting 59. He’ll join Paul Goydos, who also carded a fabled 59 four years ago on the PGA Tour.

The Champions Tour is home to golf’s biggest names after they hit the age of 50. Last year’s tournament was won in stunning fashion by Rocco Mediate, who most famously lost a playoff to Tiger Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open.

Sutherland, a Champions Tour rookie, had a shot at 58 last weekend at the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, NY, but came up one shot short. No one has ever carded a 58 at a PGA Tour sanctioned event. His round of 13-under par included 12 birdies, one eagle and one bogey.

“Amazing round,” Sutherland said at the time. “Obviously I played really well. I was just in my own little world.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Amazing round," Sutherland said at the time. "Obviously I played really well. I was just in my own little world."

Chip Beck, another Champions Tour player who shot 59 in 1991, will also join the field for the tournament.

Ames, a Calgary resident, will be making his second start on the Champions Tour. One of the individuals who helped bring the tournament to Calgary, Ames has spent most of the year competing on the PGA Tour. He was elected into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame with a ceremony on Tuesday morning in Calgary.

He’s joined in Calgary by Couples, one of the most popular players in the history of the PGA Tour. Couples finished in a tie for 10^th at last year’s tournament.

Also in the field is Bernard Langer, the Masters winner who has five wins on the Champions Tour this year alone. Langer has won three of the last five tournaments he’s played in and many have argued he should be a pick for the Ryder Cup team that plays in Scotland against the American squad starting Sept. 26.

In all, 81 Champions Tour players will tee it up in Calgary starting Friday, Aug. 29, with the pro-am occurring the day before.

You can view the full list of players on the Shaw Charity Classic website.