To kind of come from really no status out here on the Champions Tour to making the (Charles Schwab Cup Championship) in only nine or 10 events, that's playing some good golf. Steven Alker tees of on the seventh hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. Alker shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 17-under 199 and end a seven-year winless drought. I guess it's just been building, said Alker, who made his senior debut after Monday qualifying at the Boeing Classic in mid-August and ran off six straight top-10 finishes to repeatedly earn a start in the succeeding event. Theres always a purpose, always have a goal in mind every day. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. I just tried to convey that this is who you are now. But playing golf is what he does and has since he began tagging along with his father in Hamilton when he was 10. I follow absolutely zero Champions Tour coverage so will forgive myself for asking who?! That said OP, you might have more luck with this over in t Alker turned professional in 1995 and has competed on several tours around the world. (Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK), The fact is he was always a nice player, Harrington said Wednesday before the championship got started. In fact, Workman said he still had the flag from the 18th hole at the TimberTech Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, on him as he and Alker wrapped up practice on Tuesday in Phoenix in preparation for the final event of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Champions elongated super season, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Not bad for someone who had to wait until he turned 50 to get a tee time on the second-chance tour. Just trying to stay in the moment see that big stop sign and get all the thoughts out of my head, he said after shooting a 68 to cap a 17-under 199 for his first Tour Champions title. 15. Copyright 2020 GolfWRX Holdings, LLC. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its just, you know, Ive played everywhere, Ive played everywhere and I think that kind of helped today in a way just playing the PGA Tour and Australasia and Asia and Korn Ferry, he said. He was successful enough to graduate to the full PGA Tour in 2003, but was unable to retain his card and returned to the development tour from 2004 to 2006. Not sure about the clubs, but you want to feed him an apple, use an open flat palm. K.J. Petrovic struggled to a 74 after an early birdie had staked him to a two-stroke lead and ended up five back at 212. All rights reserved. He tied for fourth with Ernie Els, who shot 71. Steven Alker lines up a putt on on the fourth green during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. He made 80 European Tour starts and missed the cut in 42, with only a single top 10. Kevin Sutherland plays a shot from a bunker on the first hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. But with the run Alker is on, Workman might need a bigger wall. Alker was born in Hamilton, New Zealand. Alker won $305,000, pushing his total to $896,207 in just nine tournaments since he qualified for the Boeing Classic outside Seattle in late August for his Champions Here are your options. I remember him deflecting the compliment, said Kelly, who like Alker has won three times this season and is his closest pursuer in the Schwab Cup standings. Alker had just rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on No. In 2000, he won the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, before moving to the United States to compete on the Nationwide Tour in 2002. Padraig Harrington says that "54-hole golf is not 72-hole golf. On the day he turned 50 last summer, Steven Alker was barely clinging to the label of journeyman golfer. And while Alker will always remember that long putt, Furyk will look back on No. He has finished in the top 10 in 16 of his 19 starts, nine of them top-three finishes. Hes very loyal and just stuck with me and dug the hard yards and to come out with a win it was pretty special.. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Furyk, seeking to cut significantly into Bernhard Langers lead in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race, sputtered on the putting greens and closed with a 71. The players who tend to do nicely out here are the ones who are still trying to be competitive from 45 years of age to 50 years of age. More photos from the event here. The second car? I would have loved to have won this event and then really made it probably a two-man race with Bernhard and I, Furyk said. Ames, who shared the 36-hole lead and was the 54-hole leader, shot 70 in the final round and finished second. Alker played the par 5s in 9 under over the three rounds. I love Jerry to death, Alker said. 1, sitting atop the Charles Schwab Cup standings with three victories in 13 events in what is his first full season. A final-round 6-under-par 66 left Alker 18 under for the tournament, giving him the first-place trophy as well as $345,000 in prize money. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Steven Alker wins TimberTech Championship,continues outlandish start to senior career, Bernhard Langers lead in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race. He played on the European Tour in 1998 and 1999, also competing on Europe's developmental Challenge Tour in 1999. Langer can get career win No. Steven Alker plays his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. With nine birdies, Alker fired a final-round, 8-under 63, the low round of the week, to win by three shots over Stephen Ames and six over Bernhard Langer. I had reeled off a nice stretch. In 2016, Alker played in The Open Championship after tying for second place in the Final Qualifying event held at the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. WITB Time Machine: Chris DiMarco WITB 2013. David Toms plays a shot from a bunker on the first hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. And for most of the past 15 years he has been a caddie on the Korn Ferry Tour. Kind of learned where Im at, which was good. I just see the guy being in contention quite a bit. It was a whole kind of different perspective. Padraig Harrington says that "54-hole golf is not 72-hole golf. By the time he reached the This is a carousel. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. Required fields are marked *. Seven years or 2,907 days. Steven Alker acknowledges the gallery after his victory in the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. The 2021 PGA Champions Tour money list is headed by 64-year-old German Bernhard Langer who has amassed almost $4m. The struggle led to this. Just perseverance, a euphoric Alker said. Brandt Jobe reads his yardage book on the fourth green during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. Cameron Beckman, Shane Bertsch and Woody Austin are tied for 10th at 4 under. WebFollow your favorite pro golfer, Steven Alker. Discover Steven Alker's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. The calendar change to 2022 didnt slow him down. That gave him a two-stroke victory over Furyk and Miguel Angel Jimenez. THE WOODLANDS Before lightning caused more than a two-hour suspension of play at the Insperity Invitational on Sunday, Steven Alker, Steve Stricker and Brandt Jobe were all battling for the lead. So there will be college shortly. Alker thrust himself into contention during the second round of Saturdays 36-hole marathon (caused when heavy rains postponed play Friday). 46 this week in Tucson. BOCA RATON Four months ago, few golf fans had heard of Steven Alker. Alker shot a final-round 68 to finish solo third, which was a whopping eight shots back of tournament winner Padraig Harrington, but still good enough to clinch the series title for the first time. Workman said when he gets back to Texas after this weeks finale he has a friend in Austin lined up to frame the flag. Sundays victory marked his eighth top-10 finish in nine starts. Lot of things, Alker said, attempting to explain his meteoric rise. Alker, who had zero status on the PGA Tour Champions when the New Zealander turned 50 in July, won the TimberTech Championship on Sunday by outdueling I think theres gonna be many more, Workman said. I watched Steven play on the European Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and all of the sudden out here, wow, the runner-up Ames said. We were just chatting and he says, Man, youve been playing great. The delay did Alker good. Learn how your comment data is processed. He came alive on the back nine, going 6 under over a six-hole stretch that contributed to his four-shot victory over Stricker and Jobe. He enters the 36-man Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 22nd place after starting on the outside at 46th in the points race. Thirty-two events and $4,710,612 later, Steven Alker has reached new heights. More: Alker outduels Furyk to win TimberTech Championship. Jason Dufner whats in the bag accurate as of the 2023 WM Phoenix Open. Id been building to it with all of these top-10s and trying to get in that position to win. It's fantastic, great to see. In 2000, he won the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, before moving to the United States to compete on the Nationwide Tour in 2002. Its been a great run. He works tremendously hard but he works very smart. I hadnt won for seven years. He did win four times, but missed the cut in nearly half those starts. This amount was more than he made in his PGA Tour career. No more going week-to-week wondering if he would be forced to play in a Monday qualifier. Steven Alker tees off on the fifth hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. He Monday-qualified for his first event on the 50-and-older circuit in late August and rattled off six consecutive top-10 finishes to keep earning a spot in the next tournament. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. Its really cool. Im shooting low rounds and keeping rounds going, said Alker, who posted scores of 67-65-66. No forgiveness needed I don't suspect a lot of people do. I appreciate the tip for the Forum post. Alker is from New Zealand - grinded the KF To He made 86 PGA Tour starts without a top 10 and missed the cut in 47 of them. He finished 20th in the Web.com Tour Finals to earn his PGA Tour card for the 201415 season. He overtook Petrovic with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. That was when everything else became a Go, including his first professional win in more than seven years. Theyre going to be hearing a lot more from him. Sam has a great personality, Alker said. That's very obvious.". So he went to the Boeing feeling pretty good about his game, but not really knowing what to expect. I can hit all sorts of different shots with it thats the great thing.. A birdie on the 16th was his 21st of the week. He hasnt played in a PGA Tour event since 2017 and he spent the majority of his pro career slogging through Korn Ferry Tour events. In 2021, 18 days after he turned 50 which made him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions, Alker flew to Seattle looking for an outside shot at getting into the Boeing Classic. He tied for seventh, which earned him a spot in The Ally Challenge the following week for being in the top 10. The first ever tournament I attended in person was the '96 Queensland Open here in Aus, and I believe it was Alker's first win. He and Michael Camp Masters: Wanna play Augusta National? One framed flag doesnt a wall make. The eagle doubled Alkers lead to four shots and put him in comfortable position going down the stretch. Heres what you need to know. Steven Alker pitches his third shot onto the first green during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. In fact, he posted six straight top-10s and earned a spot in the 2021 Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. And then a T7 and you get the gist. Stricker, the 2021 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship champion, carded a 68 Saturday. Alker and Els each shot a 69 Saturday. He had 304 starts on what now is called the Korn Ferry Tour, though he played it when it was the Nike Tour, the Buy.com Tour, the Nationwide Tour and the Web.com Tour. But would he pick up where he left off? Jimenez had seven birdies in a 66 for low round of the day. Here are your options. Alker literally was playing week to week, needingto finish in the top 10 to qualify for the next event. Miguel Angel Jimenez tees his ball on the second hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. Miguel Angel Jimenez smiles after making eagle on the first hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. Just a lot of hard yards. Alker shot a final round 63 to win the championship by three strokes. It will probably sink in a bit more tomorrow, but yeah, this is neat, its so cool.. By the time they got to Phoenix, Alker had a commanding lead in the points race. WITB Time Machine: Chris DiMarco WITB 2013. But when you have that accent, pretty much everything sounds, well, neat. Ive played everywhere. Alker, the New Zealand native who moved to Arizona in 2002, has seen a lot of stop signs in his career. He turned professional in 1995. When he came to Texas in 1996, the upper Midwesttransplant wouldn't have imagined heading a program that would give him four state championships. This run that were on is phenomenal. Monday qualified in Seattle last year, now Charles Schwab Cup leader, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. From there, he kept getting into more Champions events because he kept stacking up top-10s. Moreover, in his last five starts, he has finished first, tied for second, first, tied for third and first. It actually got a bit better today. [4] Alker continued this form into the 2022 season, recording wins at the Rapiscan Systems Classic and the Insperity Invitational. Alker, who played only three seasons on the PGA Tour and never finished better than 17th, posted 17-under 199. Just perseverance with a capital P.. opened up. More photos from the event here. Hes not one whos going to spend eight hours on the range just to say hes practicing. He said that partially explained his emotional state in the video below. Its just all coming together. Paul Goydos wants to know, too, asking where hes been the past 50 years. I still had three holes to go. Best irons for 2023 for every handicap and playing style, LPGA: HSBC Women's Champions celebrates 15 years of star-studded champions, Jessica Korda turns 30 and Brooke Henderson reunites with lost luggage, Three sleeper picks to win the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, including Tommy Fleetwood at 80/1, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Then I got my roll going.. He birdied the 15th and 16th holes to go two ahead, a lead that increased to three when Ames bogeyed the 17th. At the 2014 Cleveland Open on the Web.com Tour, Alker beat South Africa's Dawie van der Walt on the 11th playoff hole, a tour record for longest playoff. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. On Aug. 15, 2021, Alker was arriving in the Seattle area in order to attempt to Monday qualify for the Boeing Classic. Now, after the first two events in the Charles Schwab Cup,he has risen to No 22 in the standings with the championship coming up next weekend in Phoenix. PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (01), 1Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia. Then a T9 and a spot in the next event. Maybe its a Kiwi thing. Alker followed with a runner-up finish in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Steven Alker holds the champions' trophy after winning the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. Its been awhile. In 2007 and 2008, he went back to Europe to play on the European and Challenge tours. Alker didnt come into it feeling assured of anything other than the fact he wouldnt have to Monday qualify. Even Harringtons blistering weekend scores of 62 and 65 had no bearing on the steady Alker. She lets me drive it, but its her car, Alker said. [1] He finished 20th in the Web.com Tour Finals to earn his PGA Tour card for the 201415 season. Thank goodness we kind of did have a little break, because I kind of struggled, missed a few fairways early on. Kelly spent some time in Arizona, where his wife was undergoing cancer treatment. This now is one of my favorite places in America, he said of Boca Raton. The win kind of comes with all that. The golfers who put on the biggest charge Sunday were too far behind entering the round to factor in the championship. Sometimes you just got to do that. Theres times out there where I just feel like I dont have it, Stricker said. Any person that's an un-name player coming out, getting a name for himself the way he's been doing, it is phenomenal.. But he made five birdies and no bogeys from there to earn the $305,000 first prize and improve from 46thto 22ndin the playoff standings. He had no status on PGA TOUR Champions, though he had remained active on the Korn Ferry Tour right up through his 50th birthday. Being amongst these guys and the enthusiasm they still have for playing theres still that grind and enthusiasm to play, compete and still wanting to win is a great environment to be in. Masters: Wanna play Augusta National? He had turned 50 on July 28, and this was his first chance to give it a go. Not before Alker signs it, of course. That ended with a third-place finish and a spot in the next event. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. He did that six consecutive weeks until falling off to a T15 at the SAS Championship. FYIThose are i20s in the bag shown, not S56s. In November 2022, Alker finished third at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship which secured him first place in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup and the $1,000,000 first prize. Im really enjoying that part of it.. Stricker, who was playing competitive golf for the first time since October after recovering from a mystery illness, was co-leader after the first two rounds and shot under par all three rounds. Alker played in the final grouping Sunday and entered the third and final round tied with Furyk one shot behind Tim Petrovic. WebIn November 2021, Alker won the TimberTech Championship on the PGA Tour Champions in Boca Raton, Florida. And now my son has his license and my daughter has her provisional license, so were probably gonna be a three-car family soon.. He lost 30 pounds over the past six months. But he made four consecutive pars before a birdie at the 18thgave the Spaniard a share of second place. The seemingly ageless Bernhard Langer, 64, who briefly shared the lead with both Alker and Ames on the back nine, made three consecutive bogeys, then a double bogey on 18 to shoot 71 and fall to third place. Theres not a lot of guys at 49 who could do that.. Sam Workman, 54, has been in the golf business his entire life.