Alker moves within one at Gleneagles

Steve Alker after his recent Senior PGA win – will he be making another speech tomorrow? – photo PGA of America

New Zealand’s Steve Alker has dominated the PGA Tour Champions in 2022 and tonight he has an opportunity to add further to his amazing year.

The 50 year old has quietly gone about his business at the Senior Open Championship and after a third round of 66 in, at times, damp conditions he has moved within one of the leaders Darren Clarke and Paul Broadhurst and appears likely to challenge for the title and his second senior major in the final round of the event at Gleneagles in Scotland.

Alker is tied just one shot behind the lead with recent PGA Tour Champions winner, Jerry Kelly, but also just two further back are such names as Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington with Bernhard Langer another shot back, Harrington having won the recent US Senior Open.

“Very happy, back nine got some rain, it was cooling down, a little bit of wind,” said Alker. “Made a few more birdies today which was the key and just putted nicely. Very happy.”

Tomorrow is shaping as classic shootout between several legendary figures in the game and Alker, who is rapidly becoming a legendary himself in over fifties golf.

Alker leads the PGA Tour Champions’ Charl Schwab standings by a massive margin over Steve Stricker after a season which has already seen him record three wins, two second and three third place finishes, one of the wins a major when successful at the Senior PGA Championship.

Australia’s Stuart Appleby is also well enough placed at 6 under and just three from the lead, a third round of 67 appearing more promising with three early birdies but he is very much still in contention.