67 year old Langer brilliant but Alker wins season long Schwab Cup
Steve Alker – image Getty Images
He might have fallen victim to yet another stunning performance by the 67-year-old Bernhard Langer at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship but New Zealand’s Steve Alker wrapped up the season-long Schwab Cup points race by sharing second with Australian Richard Green this week and topped that Championship for the second time in three years.
Langer broke the hearts of both Alker and Green when he holed a 35-foot curling left to right for birdie at the final hole to win by one at the Phoenix Country Club, Green’s final round of 65 appearing to give him a great chance of claiming a first PGA Tour Champions title but it was not to be.
Alker might have failed to successfully defend the Charles Schwab Cup Championship after winning it twelve months earlier but, by taking the season long title for the second time in three years, he earns another US$1 million in addition to the US$276,000 for sharing second with Green this week and the US$2.447 million he has in earnings for the season.
“Yeah, very special,” said Alker when asked to describe his feelings. “You win one and you go, well, can I do another? It’s a season-long race, there’s a lot of golf to be played and the competition’s getting better, so to have No. 2 is pretty special.
“The support’s been amazing, to have a home game. It would be nice to win it all today, the whole lot, but hey, I’ve got the Schwab Cup and that’s important to me.
Alker is a resident of the Phoenix area, and he is tremendously proud of his accomplishments in his adopted home city.
“Yeah, extra special because friends and family are here, you’re sleeping in your own bed. It kind of feels like there’s a little bit of extra pressure maybe with everybody out, friends and family, what we’re playing for, going for No. 2. You win it, you win a lot, so that was the goal for the week. And I was defending champ, too, so there were extra bonuses there if I did win.”
For Langer this was his 47th victory on the PGA Tour Champions since joining the tour for the over 50’s in 2007 and winning for the first time just a few events into his career at this level.
Langer has won at least one event in each of the 18 seasons he has played the Champions Tour.
“Winning never gets old,” said Langer when asked how special the win was after such a long career. “People say why am I still playing. Well, this is why, because I enjoy the adrenaline, I enjoy being in the hunt and I still feel like I can win and be there on the leaderboard.
“I’ve just proven that again becoming the oldest winner again and again out here. It’s been great to compete against these guys.”
Richard Green has finished the season without a win but with five runner-up finishes and many other impressive performances, he has accumulated US$2.168 million.
The Victorian left-hander produced a final nine of 30 to come from five shots off the pace at the turn to nearly claim his first victory. It has been a great season for the 53-year-old, who is in his second season on the PGA Tour Champions.
