Richard Green heads a bumper list of 10 Australian golfers poised to contest the PGA Tour Champions playoffs, easily the biggest national contingent outside the Americans.
The Aussies are all on track to be among the top 72 in the standings when the regular season ends with the final round of the SAS Championship in North Carolina on Sunday.
Ranked No.4 behind only leader Ernie Els, Steve Alker and Stephen Ames, 53-year-old lefthander Green has been the standout among them this season.
He boasts four second placings among nine top-10 finishes, having made the cut in all 22 events he has played, while earning $US1,847,919.
When the stakes were highest, in the majors alone Green was runner up in the Senior PGA Championship and Senior British Open and third in the US Senior Open.
Set to join Green in the playoffs are fellow leftie Greg Chalmers (ranked 21 starting the week), Mark Hensby (25), Stuart Appleby (26), Steve Allan (33), Rod Pampling (37), Cameron Percy (38), Michael Wright (49), David Bransdon (54) and John Senden (60).
Richard Green has been the best-performed Australian on the Champions Tour. PHOTO: Getty Images
Wright was the leading Aussie after the opening round of the SAS Championship on Friday, tied eighth at three-under after shooting a 69 to be four shots behind leader Billy Andrade.
Green shot a 72 while defending champion Pampling battled to a 74 which had him tied 57th in the tournament.
