He struggled on the front nine Sunday, playing his first six holes in one-over. Steven Alker lifts the champions' trophy after winning the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. Just kept surviving. The eagle doubled Alkers lead to four shots and put him in comfortable position going down the stretch. Paul Goydos wants to know, too, asking where hes been the past 50 years. Its been awhile. But with the run Alker is on, Workman might need a bigger wall. While Alker is a fit, lean 50 year old, many of his opponents on the tour are former superstars who are climbing into their 60s. I love Jerry to death, Alker said. Its just been building, Alker said. That ended with a T7 at the Boeing Classic, which meant he automatically qualified for the next tournament. 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. Maybe its a Kiwi thing. Sunday marked Alkers third win on PGA Tour Champions (17 starts) with all three titles coming in his last nine starts, and its his second win in his last three tournaments. But whos counting? He had no status on PGA TOUR Champions, though he had remained active on the Korn Ferry Tour right up through his 50th birthday. In 2016, Alker played in the Open after tying for second in the Final Qualifying event held at the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. On the day he turned 50 last summer, Steven Alker was barely clinging to the label of journeyman golfer. I hadnt won for seven years. Alker will also collect $1 million in bonus money for winning the Schwab Cup series title, money that will be paid out as a lump sum deposit into a Schwab brokerage account. Steven Alker, left, celebrates his victory with caddy Sam Workman during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. Masters: Wanna play Augusta National? Padraig Harrington says that "54-hole golf is not 72-hole golf. All rights reserved. He works tremendously hard but he works very smart. Then a T9 and a spot in the next event. 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 He and Michael Camp Your email address will not be published. Alker literally was playing week to week, needingto finish in the top 10 to qualify for the next event. Its a Mini Cooper. 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. Alker played in the final grouping Sunday and entered the third and final round tied with Furyk one shot behind Tim Petrovic. I would have been a little surprised if youd told me it would turn out like this, yeah, Alker said. Column: Isnt it time we heard from Georgia coach Kirby Smart? Choi (67) and Kirk Triplett (70) tied for sixth place. He got in thanks a strong Monday qualifier score, a rout he had to take because he had no status on the tour. 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. Monday qualifying is a thing of the past. Alker, 50, came from four shots down at the start of the final round, shot an eight-under 63 at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich., and won the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship by three, his third win in his last five starts and his fourth in 19 starts as a senior. Seven years or 2,907 days. She lets me drive it, but its her car, Alker said. Not bad for someone who had to wait until he turned 50 to get a tee time on the second-chance tour. Hes very loyal and just stuck with me and dug the hard yards and to come out with a win it was pretty special.. Thats a huge trait for caddies. 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 Jim Furyk down the back nine of The Old Course at Broken Sound Club. It hasnt sunk in. 9. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Now there's a lot more work to do. But would he pick up where he left off? Equipment is accurate as of the AT&T Championship (Champions) (10/28/13) Driver: Titleist 910D2 (9.5) Shaft: Mitsubishi Bassara W 50 3-wood: Hideki Matsuyama whats in the bag accurate as of the 2023 WM Phoenix Open. Now hes public enemy No. The victory came at the second playoff event, the TimberTech Championship. Alker had announced last week that Workman Not sure about the clubs, but you want to feed him an apple, use an open flat palm. Sometimes you just got to do that. 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. Theyve got a few more options there. [8] He also won the Arnold Palmer Award for the season-long money title and the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average for the 2022 season. There were lot of circles on the scorecard for Alker, who completely took charge of the championship. Their first event was The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay and Alker finished T4, his best Korn Ferry Tour result since 2014. I can hit all sorts of different shots with it thats the great thing.. Sam Workman, 54, has been in the golf business his entire life. Steven made that big putt at 15 and I couldnt top him on 16 and he then played really solid, Furyk said. Nursing a one-stroke lead heading to the par-5 home hole at The Old Course at Broken Sound, Alker finished off a four-under 68 in style with one last birdie to rally past second-round co-leaders Furyk and Tim Petrovic. WebIn November 2021, Alker won the TimberTech Championship on the PGA Tour Champions in Boca Raton, Florida. Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II (9.5 Carl Yuan whats in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. Biding his time on the Korn Ferry Tour until he turned 50 on July 28, doing the hard yards as he put it, Alker had been a frequent visitor to Champions Tour leader boards. 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. I've been having chances and you have a bunch of top-10s and you get in the thick of it and just try to get a W. Not that the top-10s aren't any good. He knows the game, has done a lot of teaching, been a PGA pro, worked for golf schools. Hes probably as physically fit now as he was 20 years ago, so he hasnt gone backwards. Steven Alker was born on 28 July, 1971 in Hamilton, New Zealand. He played on the European Tour in 1998 and 1999, also competing on Europe's developmental Challenge Tour in 1999. Let's go.. He showed this weekend that his game is sharp, even though at times he experienced fatigue. WebSample Page; ; Im really enjoying that part of it.. I just like to see a big stop sign. Yeah, keep making pars and birdies, or its back to the Korn Ferry Tour. Petrovic struggled to a 74 after an early birdie had staked him to a two-stroke lead and ended up five back at 212. Theres times out there where I just feel like I dont have it, Stricker said. I thought, well, if I can come out and do many some Mondays, Tuesdays, do some events and try to qualify and get some events under my belt, that would be great, he said. He tied for fourth with Ernie Els, who shot 71. If you would have seen me where I was a month ago to where I am today, thats what makes me happy. Monday qualified in Seattle last year, now Charles Schwab Cup leader, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The par 5s coming in, I hit some beautiful shots there and probably won the tournament for me, Alker said. Fast forward 360 days and life is vastly different for Alker. It was a whole kind of different perspective. He had played in 10 events, posted nine top-10s and pocketed $1,146,207. With their quotes out of the NFL combine, DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio are acknowledging real change is planned in 2023. Its been an amazing journey and just to be here and to have this opportunity has been amazing., I like red wine, he said. Langer leads Furyk by 337,727 points entering next weeks Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. Its really cool. PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (01). Alker earned this victory and a spot on next years PGA Tour Champions through exceptional play. Alker remained calm and even gained a stroke on Furyk with a birdie on No. K.J. But that will change. Hes pretty easygoing. With a final-round 69, Langer was T-11 and remained in front in the points standings heading into next weeks Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the last start on the extended senior schedule spread over two years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Winning the TimberTech changes everything for Alkers second act in his professional career. Theres not a lot of guys at 49 who could do that.. How did a mild-mannered native of Hamilton, New Zealand, go from Korn Ferry Tour also-ran to Champions Tour frontrunner? Hes very fundamentally sound in every part of his game. In fact, his best Korn Ferry Tour finish of the combined 2020-21 season had come two weeks after his birthday, when he posted a T5 at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank. Alker played in the final grouping Sunday and entered the third and final round tied with Furyk one shot behind Tim Petrovic. Theyre in the field for the finale courtesy of the victory, which propelled Alker into the top 36 in the Schwab Cup standings. Masters: Wanna play Augusta National? Langer can get career win No. So he went to the Boeing feeling pretty good about his game, but not really knowing what to expect. Its all a bit of whirlwind. Support, and the game coming around, people helping me just to get me in shape, caddie, everybody. I always know I've been good, but to play with these guys, it's just a matter of feeling comfortable, Alker said. MORE: Phil Mickelson commits to playing in PGA Tour Champions season finale. Alker played the par 5s in 9 under over the three rounds. (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. 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