Large field of Australiasians in Senior PGA field
Steve Alker with his 2022 win while on debut in the event – image PGA of America
The PGA Tour Champions holds its second consecutive major when the Senior PGA Championship is played this week at the famed Congressional Country Club in Maryland outside of Washington DC.
With Angel Cabrera taking out last week’s Regions Traditions event in Birmingham, Alabama, the tour for the over fifties heads north and east to USA capital where nearly 10% of the field are Australians or New Zealanders.
Steve Alker, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Michael Wright, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, Stuart Appleby, Brendan Jones, Scott Hend, Michael Campbell, David Bransdon, Andre Stolz and Mick Stuart, all tee it up in the US$3.5 million event, won previously by only two Australasians, Peter Thomson (1984) and Steve Alker (2022)
In last year’s event at Harbor Shores in Michigan, Richard Green also finished runner-up to England’s Richard Bland.
Brendan Jones is the only first-timer in the event amongst the Australians, the 50-year-old in his rookie season on the PGA Tour Champions.
Steve Alker won the event in 2022 and finished 5th in 2023, but did not play in 2024 due to family reasons.
Mick Smith is perhaps the odd man out in terms of name players in that group, the former leading amateur back in Australia, now a teaching professional in Wisconsin but a player good enough to have qualified for this event and a US Senior Open previously.
