Steve Alker – photo Montana Pritchard PGA of America.
New Zealand’s Steve Alker has extended his lead in the Charl Schwab season long race by finishing in a share of 3rd place with Ernie Els at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in Akron in Ohio.
For Alker it was his 9th top three finish of the season and his cheque for US$198,000 this week takes his PGA Tour Champions earnings in 2022 to US$2,215,000.
Alker’s bogey at the last effectively cost him US$42,000 but given that he now leads the money list by some US$810,000 over Steve Stricker, he is doing ok.
“I just didn’t have it today,” said the soon to be 51 year old who joined the PGA Tour Champions as a Monday qualifier at the Boeing event in August of last year.
“I just made too many bogeys over the weekend, that was the difference. I made one bogey in 36 holes, first 36, and I don’t know how many I made over the weekend. It was a lot.
Alker will now set his sights on the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland where he is expected to be once again in contention for a ‘senior major’.
“British Senior a couple weeks,” said Alker. “My wife’s English, we’re going to see some family and things. We’ll get over tomorrow and just get up there early and get to know the course. Looking forward to it.”
Queensland’s Rod Pampling also had another good week when he finished tied for 13th and now has earnings over US$522,000 in 2022.
The winner, Jerry Kelly, moved into third place in the standings when he won by one shot over Stricker, winning his 10th PGA Tour Champions title and gets to play in next year’s Players Championship.
