Steve Alker moves to third in Schwab Cup
Steve Alker – file photo courtesy of Montana Pritchard
Steve Alker has today produced his fourth runner-up finish of the season when completing the Constellation Furyk and Friends event in Jacksonville, Florida just one shot from the winner, Brett Quigley.
Quigley needed an impressive up and down at the last to hold off Alker who produced one of the better final rounds to all but catch him.
The finish has moved Alker to 3rd place in the Schwab Cup behind only Steve Stricker and Bernhard Langer with earnings of US$1,856,000 and although well behind the leader, Stricker, it has already been another successful year for the New Zealander.
In addition to the four runner-up finishes, came the win at the Insperity event in April along with a 3rd place finish at the event which started it all for him two years ago, the Boeing Classic in August, and so Alker continues on his remarkable resurgence in the professional ranks since joining the PGA Tour Champions as a qualifier in August of 2001.
“Yeah, the game’s just started coming around, said the 52-year-old.” The ball-striking has been the best the last few weeks it’s been for a while, so tidy that up. This week was just a few more putts here and there, an up-and-down, it was that kind of week. So nice putt there by Quigs on the last, that was a huge up-and-down, so credit to him.
“I had a few weeks off, St. Louis and Sioux Falls, which gave me just time to regroup and get things together. I’ve got some golf courses coming up I like. Richmond obviously I’m defending and home game in Phoenix, so some nice weeks coming up.”
Rod Pampling was the next best of the Australasians when he finished 10th
