An American professional golfer, Steve Stricker has been a part of the top ten in the Official World Golf Ranking for over 250 weeks. Hes probably as physically fit now as he was 20 years ago, so he hasnt gone backwards. How did a mild-mannered native of Hamilton, New Zealand, go from Korn Ferry Tour also-ran to Champions Tour frontrunner? He tied for seventh, which earned him a spot in The Ally Challenge the following week for being in the top 10. Its a home game this week (Alker has made his permanent home in Phoenix for the past 12 years), lot of friends and family will be here. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. There were lot of circles on the scorecard for Alker, who completely took charge of the championship. Its really cool. Playing with Padraig today, it was kind of difficult because Do I chase him, do I protect? I just tried to play my game as good as I could, but he played amazing and just glad to be champion.. [5][6], In May 2022, Alker won his first senior major championship at the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Langer leads Furyk by 337,727 points entering next weeks Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. Cameron Beckman, Shane Bertsch and Woody Austin are tied for 10th at 4 under. Ill ask his caddie to get a pics for you. Give me a week or two Grizzlies 113, Rockets 99: 2nd-half flurry extends Houston's skid, Texas A&M's SEC title hopes quashed by Alabama's win over Auburn, DeMeco Ryans well aware Texans have priorities besides QB. Jeff Maggert 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. K.J. Alker turned professional in 1995 and has competed on several tours around the world. 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. Workman estimates he has been on the bag for more than 400 tournaments, for pros such as Brad Elder, Jon Curran, Tag Ridings and AJ McInerney. 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. Here are your options. I watched Steven play on the European Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and all of the sudden out here, wow, the runner-up Ames said. Yeah, keep making pars and birdies, or its back to the Korn Ferry Tour. 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. This helps out with college. Alker won four times on the Korn Ferry Tour, his last victory coming in 2014, and three times on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Alker remained calm and even gained a stroke on Furyk with a birdie on No. He did win four times, but missed the cut in nearly half those starts. 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. Jimenez had seven birdies in a 66 for low round of the day. 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. The season finale is in Phoenix, Ariz., at Phoenix Country Club, and Langer will be trying to win the Charles Schwab Cup for a sixth time. Then came his 50th birthday on July 28 and another whole new world (tour?) I was playing well and trending and thats kind of what happens with my game, Alker said. Alker says he never really thought about stepping away. Let's keep playing. It was huge, Alker said. It was a good week, said Stricker, who carded rounds of 67-65-70 for 14 under. It hasnt sunk in. More: Alker outduels Furyk to win TimberTech Championship. Prior to making eagle on the par-5 15th hole, he birdied the par-5 13th. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. He then walked to the side of the green, closed his eyes and started talking to no one but himself. It was just kind of the next step.. Choi, Rob Labritz, Marco Dawson and David Toms are tied for sixth at 5 under. He enters the 36-man Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 22nd place after starting on the outside at 46th in the points race. BOCA RATON Four months ago, few golf fans had heard of Steven Alker. He has been a member of the PGA Tour of Australasia since 1995. Thirty-two events and $4,710,612 later, Steven Alker has reached new heights. Theres always a purpose, always have a goal in mind every day. The victory came at the second playoff event, the TimberTech Championship. He continued his run with a birdie on the 16th hole before bogeying the final hole. Then a T9 and a spot in the next event. This moment is the culmination of a rapid-fire success rate for Alker since joining the senior circuit. After opening with a solid 67, a second-round 73 left him well outside the top 10. But before he did, I told him Id eventually get a flag at some point, and we got it done last week.. Alker played the par 5s in 9 under over the three rounds. Alker literally was playing week to week, needingto finish in the top 10 to qualify for the next event. He returned to the Nationwide Tour (now Web.com Tour) in 2009. If I get into trouble, Im 1 or 2 under, so thats really pleasing. But playing golf is what he does and has since he began tagging along with his father in Hamilton when he was 10. Steven Craig Alker (born 28 July 1971) is a professional golfer from New Zealand. 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. A birdie on the 16th was his 21st of the week. Alker credited the Korn Ferry Tour for getting him ready for PGA TOUR Champions. 2023 www.palmbeachpost.com. I love Jerry to death, Alker said. He lost 30 pounds over the past six months. I just tried to convey that this is who you are now. Meanwhile, Alker got his much-waited victory. He has been a member of the PGA Tour of Australasia since 1995. 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. More photos from the event here. Alker had announced last week that Workman Youve got to keep being competitive and he did that. The second car? New Level PF-2 irons. Canadian Mike Weir won last years championship. The two were able to practice together a couple of times, and Kelly, a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, had to convince Alker that he belonged among the elite on PGA TOUR Champions. 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. The past had been a perennial grind for Alker. Miguel Angel Jimenez reacts 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. Rounds of 67-73-67 in his first Champions event netted him a tie for seventh in the 2021 Boeing Classic, and that would be it for his Monday qualifying days as that top-10 finish earned him a spot in the field the next week at the Ally Challenge, where he finished solo third. The golfers who put on the biggest charge Sunday were too far behind entering the round to factor in the championship. I can't put my finger on one thing exactly. Alker, the New Zealand native who moved to Arizona in 2002, has seen a lot of stop signs in his career. 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. He got in thanks a strong Monday qualifier score, a rout he had to take because he had no status on the tour. No more going week-to-week wondering if he would be forced to play in a Monday qualifier. Alker shot a final round 63 to win the championship by three strokes. For winning the tournament, Harrington earned the first-place prize of $440,000, bringing his season total to $3,293,255. The top three finishers Alker, Stricker and Jobe came into the final 18 holes atop the leader board at 12 under. 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. Not before Alker signs it, of course. It went to Alkers wife. Needless to say, he has surpassed his own expectations. Unfortunately he passed away about four years ago so he didnt get to see this. WebAt 51 years old, Steven Alker height is 1.8 m and Weight 65 kg. We were just chatting and he says, Man, youve been playing great. By the time they got to Phoenix, Alker had a commanding lead in the points race. Padraig Harrington says that "54-hole golf is not 72-hole golf. My short game and puttings come around. Alker followed with a runner-up finish in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Then, in a blink, everything changed. PGA Tour Champions Steven Alker wins TimberTech Championship, continues outlandish start to senior career November 07, 2021 Steven Alker's final-round 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. 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. Jerry is fantastic. Its just been building, Alker said. Steven Craig Alker (born 28 July 1971) is a professional golfer from New Zealand who plays on the PGA Tour Champions, where he has won five events. Langer can get career win No. I'll have to win in Phoenix.. She lets me drive it, but its her car, Alker 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. He played on the European Tour in 1998 and 1999, also competing on Europe's developmental Challenge Tour in 1999. Discover Steven Alker's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Driver: Ping G25 (8.5 degrees @10.5) Shaft: Project X 6.5 (45.25 inches, tipped 1 inch) 3-wood: Ping Anser (14.5 Alker is turning into a rising star on PGA Tour Champions. Hes very loyal and just stuck with me and dug the hard yards and to come out with a win it was pretty special.. Im scoring so well. 9. We have estimated Its all been life-changing in terms of security, a place to play and financially, that comes with it. It will probably sink in a bit more tomorrow, but yeah, this is neat, its so cool.. Steven Alker was born on 28 July, 1971 in Hamilton, New Zealand. 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. Sam Workman, caddie for PGA Tour Champions golfer Steven Alker, died Monday less than three weeks removed from caddying a second-place finish in Hawaii to open the 2023 season. This now is one of my favorite places in America, he said of Boca Raton. You could see it every week at the end of the Korn Ferry year he was getting a little more excited and looking forward to the move and he just looks comfortable.. WebIn November 2021, Alker won the TimberTech Championship on the PGA Tour Champions in Boca Raton, Florida. I never would think about it, Alker said. I hadnt won for seven years. I can hit all sorts of different shots with it thats the great thing.. In 2000, he won the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, before moving to the United States to compete on the Nationwide Tour in 2002. Finally, he converted for his first win since he registered the last of his four Korn Ferry titles at the 2014 Cleveland Open. He showed this weekend that his game is sharp, even though at times he experienced fatigue. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. With their quotes out of the NFL combine, DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio are acknowledging real change is planned in 2023. opened up. Thats why youre seeing his good play now. Ive been paired with him a couple times this past season on the KFT. He is an unbelievable putter and bombs it for his age. Not really surprised t Even Harringtons blistering weekend scores of 62 and 65 had no bearing on the steady Alker. But whos counting? 15 on the Old Course at Broken Sound Sunday to take a one shot lead over Jim Furyk in the TimberTech Championship. All rights reserved. But Alker regrouped, and another 67 pushed him into a tie for seventh and an automatic spot in the Ally Challenge. Alker ran the table in August 2021 at the Boeing Classic. That's very obvious.". He overtook Petrovic with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 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. 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 has spent time as a teaching pro. Its bitter there, but kind of told him on the 18th green I was really happy for him. Sam has a great personality, Alker said. Langer can get career win No. These small things that we just havent had and kind of needed to do we have security going forward.. That gave him a two-stroke victory over Furyk and Miguel Angel Jimenez. But when you have that accent, pretty much everything sounds, well, neat. Alker and Workman said it was Australian caddie and mutual friend Tony Lingard who put them together at the start of the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour season. In 28 other events, he had no top-10s. So Alker did something he is very familiar with;he attempted to qualify for the tour. Ive played everywhere. In 2000, he won the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, before moving to the United States to compete on the Nationwide Tour in 2002. Caddie Id been building to it with all of these top-10s and trying to get in that position to win. Ive been having chances. He went on to record six consecutive top-10s. Its also his 10th consecutive below-par round after shooting his second-lowest 36-hole score. He fired four rounds in the 60s, including a closing 63. Now hes public enemy No. PHOENIX To think it all started at a Monday qualifier 15 months ago. Im shooting low rounds and keeping rounds going, said Alker, who posted scores of 67-65-66. Youve just gotta own it. It sunk in. Now there's a lot more work to do. New Zealands Steven Alker, a long-time journeyman golfer, enjoyed a remarkable career renaissance on the PGA Tour Champions in 2022. He overtook Petrovic with a 12-foot birdie putton No. Let's go for it. [4] Alker continued this form into the 2022 season, recording wins at the Rapiscan Systems Classic and the Insperity Invitational. I can redo my 12-year-old kitchen, too. Its been a great run. 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. He tied for fourth with Ernie Els, who shot 71. I think right now, I've matured and it's a second wind. The struggle led to this. The Boeing Classic begins on Friday; Alker, who has made his permanent home in Arizona since 2010, isnt even flying to the Seattle area until Wednesday. A second-place finish at Phoenix Country Club the following week capped a whirlwind stretch and put $1,146,207 into his bank account. I was only one ahead of Jim. I started hitting some nice shots and driving it better, Alker said. 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. He won the season-long 2022 Charles Schwab Cup on the PGA Tour Champions. Column: Isnt it time we heard from Georgia coach Kirby Smart? From the PGA Tour of Australasia (yes, there is such a thing) to the Korn Ferry Tour to the Canadian Tour to 86 starts on the PGA Tour in which he missed 47 cuts. You're KFT player? This amount was more than he made in his PGA Tour career. So there will be college shortly. Now I can play some courses Ive seen and kind of set a schedule. Alker is especially grateful Workman was able to experience his resurgence that started with his first win on the Champions Tour, the 2021 TimberTech Championship at Broken Sound in Boca Raton. Steven Alker walks to the 18th green during the final round of the Insperity Invitational golf tournament, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in The Woodlands, TX. 9. If you would have seen me where I was a month ago to where I am today, thats what makes me happy. He is a member of famous with the age 51 years old group. Bernhard Langer is one win away from history. He turned professional in 1995. Its a home game this week (Alker has made his permanent home in Phoenix for the past 12 years), lot of friends and family will be here. I won in Biloxi (Rapiscan Systems Classic), then went second, won again (Insperity Invitational), tied for third and won again (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship). By the end of that run Alker had accrued enough money not only to skip Monday qualifying but to make the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. 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. What a state takeover of HISD could mean for parents, students, Houston ISD to face TEA state takeover, Turner says, In Fertitta's members-only club, where photos, media are banned, Study: Low-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack, stroke risk, 750-home agrihood with farm, car-free zones breaks ground, HCC chancellor to leave role at end of contract, Popular breakfast taco spot in Houston announces a comeback, Opinion: 'Dilbert' readers can discern the wheat from the chaff, Loss to TCU sinks Texas' hopes of playing for Big 12 championship. Closed his eyes and started talking to no one but himself caddie to get in position. Of boca RATON forced to play in a 66 for low round of the PGA Tour Champions before bogeying final! Was kind of what happens with my game, Alker said, do I him. Then a T9 and a steven alker witb 2021 in the top 10 Country Club the week! Earn a PORTION of SALES from PRODUCTS that are PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE as of. 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