Steve Alker in familar territory at Charles Schwab Championship
Steve Alker – file image courtesy of PhotoSport NZ and NZ Open
The final event of the 2025 PGA Tour Champions season, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship has reached the halfway stage at the Phoenix Country Club, and there is a very familiar face at the top of the leaderboard.
New Zealand’s Steve Alker, who has not finished outside the top three in four attempts in the event, including his win in 2023, leads by one over Stewart Cink, with another shot back to Tommy Gainey.
Entering the week, Alker stood atop the Schwab Cup standings, further consolidating that position with his lead this week as he chases a third win in the year-long Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Alker added a second round of 65 to his opening 66, leading by three late in the round, before closing birdies by Cink leave him just one ahead with 36 holes to play.
“Well, it was a slow start,” said Alker. “I wanted to birdie 1, and the second hole was kind of gettable as well with the pin there. Yeah, just rolled in a couple of nice putts. No. 5 was a soft birdie, and then yeah, it just kept — the putter felt great on the front nine, hit some nice iron shots, gave myself some chances.
“So I felt great on the back, too. I felt like I played as good from tee to green as I did on the front. Just that back nine is just harder to get to some of those pins and be as aggressive.”
Alker’s remarkable consistency this season, which has included two wins and seven other top-three finishes, continues his outstanding run on the Champions Tour he has enjoyed since first joining the tour just over four years ago as a Monday qualifier.
Richard Green and Greg Chalmers are the next best of the Australians in this week’s field, that pair tied for 12th place and six shots from Alker’s lead.
This week’s winner not only earns the US$528,000 first prize but a bonus of US$1 million should he take out the Schwab Cup standings.
