Steven Alker

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Steven Alker avoided mistakes down the stretch and closed with an 8-under 63 on Sunday for a three-shot victory in the Senior ...

Since he turned 50 last summer, he has taken over the PGA Tour Champions. Langer missed the green on consecutive holes and made bogeys to fall back. Alker, a 50-year-old from New Zealand, spent the bulk of his career on the Korn Ferry Tour and a few seasons on the PGA Tour and European tour.

Steven Alker's incredible second-chance golf career now includes victory in one of the five senior majors. Kiwi Alker won the Senior PGA Championship in ...

But he has quickly stamped himself as the finest senior player where he is in fields full of famous names. It matched the best final round by a winner in senior major history. He had a run of four consecutive birdies in the middle of his round, taking advantage of the most generous part of the course and putting the field on notice. This was his third win of the year, he has been the runner up twice in 2022, and has four wins overall. Alker stormed to the title with a final round of 63, eight under par, to go with his 64 on the first day. He scored a near million-dollar payday for his win in Michigan along with a load of exemptions including into next year's PGA Championship, one of the four regular majors.

Steven Alker began Sunday four shots back but put up nine birdies to rise to the top and claim and the Senior PGA Championship in Benton Harbor.

Of the 39 club pros in the field, seven made the cut, and Phillips was the only one to finish under par. Langer finished in third place at 10 under, ending with a double-bogey at the par-4 18th for a final-round 71. Montgomerie (68), who won the Senior PGA here in 2014, and Brandt Jobe (69), father of Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe, were among a group of players at 8 under, tied for eighth. "I had a nice finish last year as well, finished eighth and was in the last group as well," said Ames, who was admittedly annoyed by the slow pace of play — Sunday's final round, with threesomes, took more than five hours. Alker then made a birdie at the par-5 15th, the stuffed his approach at the par-4 16th for another. He was able to find his ball and play it, hacking out to the fairway, but he couldn't convert the par putt. Weir started the day two back with Langer, but quickly built himself a hole with bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3. When he made birdie at the 16th hole, Langer let out a sarcastic "woo" and fist pump, knowing his chances were long gone. His career resume includes three wins on the PGA Tour of Australasia and four on the Korn Ferry Tour. Langer, a two-time Masters champion, made his first major mistake at the par-4 12th, one of the easier holes on the course — Colin Montgomerie made an eagle-2 early in the day — when he found the fairway, but pushed his approach into the right rough. "First I saw Arnold Palmer," Alker said of his first glimpse at the championship trophy. Finally, at the par-4 14th, a brutal hole, he found the rough left of the fairway, pulled his approach into the rough, and made yet another bogey.

Steven Alker was an unknown journeyman golfer this time last year. Now he's made himself a home on the PGA Tour Champions, and on Sunday, he became a major.

German star Bernhard Langer finished third at 10 under after briefly holding the lead earlier in the day. He’s running away with the Schwab Cup right now.” He opened the Senior PGA with a 64 before slipping behind during the middle two rounds. Ames ended with a 1-under 70. That tied him at 14 under with Ames. Winning the TimberTech Championship the following November helped him finally gain full status.

That's the question Paul Goydos wanted asked about Steven Alker, after shooting an 8-under 63 in the final round of the Senior PGA Championship for his first ...

It's like just a whole new chapter in my career, a new atmosphere. Just doing my stuff. And then, you know, I just didn't get it done out there,” Alker said of his fleeting success on the PGA Tour.” “So just perseverance. I had some pretty good form and feeling good. “It's pretty cool.” He doesn’t have any weaknesses.”

A career journeyman until joining the PGA Tour Champions, Steven Alker won the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, his fourth victory in 19 senior starts.

The past had been a perennial grind for Alker. He made 86 PGA Tour starts without a top 10 and missed the cut in 47 of them. 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. He made 80 European Tour starts and missed the cut in 42, with only a single top 10. Any person that's an un-name player coming out, getting a name for himself the way he's been doing, it is phenomenal.” Moreover, in his last five starts, he has finished first, tied for second, first, tied for third and first. He has finished in the top 10 in 16 of his 19 starts, nine of them top-three finishes.

Steven Alker carded an eight-under-par 63 on the final round, the best score of the day.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Steven Alker avoided mistakes down the stretch and closed with an 8-under 63 on Sunday for a three-shot victory in the KitchenAid ...

This year, he now has a PGA TOUR Champions-leading three victories and has two runner-up finishes. Langer missed the green on consecutive holes and made bogeys to fall back. Ames hit his drive into the water on the par-4 14th and had to scramble for bogey.

Alker blows away field with sizzling final round to claim massive pay cheque and join Sir Bob Charles as a major winner on seniors tour.

Since he turned 50 last year, he has taken over the PGA Tour Champions. Langer missed the green on consecutive holes and made bogeys to fall back. But his opponents had no answer with Alker on the charge. His effort tied the lowest final round for victory at this lucrative tournament. Alker joins elite company in Kiwi golf history. New Zealand golfer Steven Alker shot a sizzling final round to win the second major of the year on the PGA Tour Champions.