Kiwi Steven Alker has claimed his second PGA Champions Tour crown, despite bowing to golf legend Bernhard Langer in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club.
Alker, 53, trailled Langer by five strokes with nine holes to play, but birdied the 14th, 15th and 17th to draw level with the German star, who bogeyed the 17th.
On the final hole, Langer holed a 30-foot putt for birdie and the one-shot win, while Alker hit over the green and left his chip 12 feet shot, managing only par. Aussie Richard Green also birdied the last to share second with his Kiwi rival.
The result saw Langer, 67, shoot his age or better for the third consecutive day, and stretch his winning run on the senior tour to 18 years, something that seemed unlikely, when he tore his Achilles tendon this year playing pickleball. His win also extended his own record as the tour’s oldest tournament winner.
Kiwi Steven Alker took the overall crown in second. (Source: SKY)
“Played good and then got a little unravelled there on the back nine, and Steven Alker got going,” said Langer.
Defending champion Alker entered the tournament behind another of the game’s great names — South African Ernie Els — in the tour points race, but four-time Major winner finished 13th, as the Kiwi grabbed the title he previously won in 2022, with a US$1.276 million (NZ$2.1m) payday.
“It’s been a heck of a journey,” he reflected. “I’d like to have won today, but Bernhard is incredible, he really is.
“It means a lot, it’s a season-long race, so consistency… you want to get some wins in there as well. Proud of the fact I kept that consistency over the past few years.
“Competing with Bernhard and everyone on the Champions Tour has made me a better player, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Alker has now had eight wins on the Over-50 Champions Tour and 14 runner-up finishes since 2021, earning about US$10 million (NZ$16.7m). His only win this year came in the season-opening event in Hawaii, but he also gathered 14 top-10 finishes.
