Kiwi golfer Steven Alker wins $2.18 Million payday

By Cameron McMillan

Kiwi golfer Steven Alker has earned a $2.18 million payday after claiming the overall season title on the PGA Champions Tour.

The 53-year-old finished second in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at the Phoenix Country Club in Phoenix today.

Alker (-17) had a chance to force a playoff with 67-year-old German winner Bernhard Langer (-18) but a birdie putt on the 72nd hole just finished short of the hole.

More importantly, the 53-year-old from Hamilton finished 10 shots clear of South African Ernie Els, who went into the event holding the lead in the season standings. With his second-placed finish and final round of 66, Alker did enough to win the season title for the second time in three years.

For the season title Charles Schwab Cup, Alker earns US$1m ($1.68m) along with US$300,000 ($502,752) for his share of second in the tournament – for a total of $2.18m for the day.

Alker stormed up the leaderboard on day three with an eight-under-par 63 and made a strong start this morning with a birdie at the par-five first hole. At the third hole, he recorded his first bogey since the opening round to move back to 12-under. But back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh holes saw Alker back on track. Two more birdies at 14 and 15 closed the gap on Langer.

Second-placed Aussie Richard Green was a late threat to Alker’s season title hopes, had he been able to win the season finale – but Langer held the lead throughout the fourth round until a bogey at the 17th set up a three-way tie between Langer, Alker and Green.

Alker won the first event of the season in Hawaii and almost finished the year with a victory. Alker’s drive on the 18th hole just cleared the right-hand fairway bunkers, setting up a second shot on the par-five that found the back of the green. With Langer’s drive going well wide of the fairway, it appeared Alker was in prime position to win the tournament.

However, Langer’s third shot found the middle of the green and he sunk a more than 6m putt for birdie. For Alker, that knocked Green out of contention for the season title and meant he needed a birdie of his own to force a playoff. However, the putt from around 4m finished a few rolls shy of the hole – but the par was still enough for the season title.

“It’s been a heck of a ride to get here and win another one,” Alker said,

“It’s a season-long race ... I’m proud of the fact I kept that consistency the last few years. Competing with Bernhard and everyone out here on the Champions Tour has made me a better player and I’m very grateful for that.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission