'Life's good today': Calgary's Wes Martin highlight of emotional start to Rogers Charity Classic
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Calgary's Wes Martin and American Tommy Gainey didn't just show up to the PGA Tour Champions party with late invites.
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They crashed it.
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'Dream come true,' said Martin, who opened with birdies on four of the first five holes and felt the support of family, friends and Calgarians in emotionally making his way around the 7,086-yard track at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.
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'A total dream start,' continued the 52-year-old, of his 3-under 67 debut on the circuit for the world's best golfers age 50-plus. 'And honestly, it was all foggy. I was just swinging, and it was going right where I wanted, and the putts were falling.
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'It was incredible.'
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Even more incredible, score-wise, was Gainey's day — his first on the PGA Champions Tour after his 50th birthday made him eligible Wednesday.
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'Two Gloves' from South Carolina put together a 6-under-64 round. Only co-leaders Miguel Angel Jiménez and Steve Alker carded better scores with matching 7-under 63s through 18 holes.
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'It has been an awesome week to turn 50 and be out here with these legends,' said an amped-up Gainey, who plays with two wet- weather black gloves no matter the conditions. 'I mean … this is fun. This is fun! Had a blast, played good, hit a few loose shots … but, you know what? It was so much fun being out here with some of the guys I grew up idolizing and watching. And then I have a chance to play with them? And it's been so many years now (waiting for this).
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'I've been counting it down for the longest time. It has been on countdown for at least five years.'
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After 12 years of grinding on the Canadian Tour, the Calgary native dropped his golf dreams for a career as a pipe-fitter.
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And as he crept into his 50s age-wise, the idea of taking a few shots at a golf tournaments kicked into his life again.
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