Steve Alker leads the kiwis overseas
Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank - Final Round
FARMINGTON, UT - AUGUST 08: Steven Alker of New Zealand plays his shot from the 14th tee during the final round of the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank at Oakridge Country Club on August 8, 2021 in Farmington, Utah. (Photo by James Gilbert/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Steve Alker has kept his hopes of retaining his Korn Ferry Tour card alive for next season with a stunning final round at the Utah Championship.
Alker has carded a round of eight-under to finish at 20-under for the tournament and finished in a tie for fifth place, just four strokes back of Joshua Creel who took out the event by two. Alker carded 64, 68, and 69 in the first three rounds.
The Utah Championship is the penultimate event on the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season, with the top 25 gaining status onto the PGA Tour for next season. The top 75 retain their cards next year.
Starting the week, Alker was in 131st and in need of a big finish.
He delivered in today’s final round.
The 50-year-old opened with three birdies on the trot to begin the day but didn’t stop there. He holed his third shot from the fairway on the par 5 seventh and birdied the next to be six-under thru eight holes.
Alker then began his back nine with a birdie at 10 followed by back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th. Suddenly, he was in a tie for the lead but was running out of holes as the chasers had plenty of holes left to play.
He finished with a bogey on 18 to shoot 63 and come up just shy.
He’s now projected to move 20 places up to 111th in The 25, with one event to play next week.
Nick Voke missed the cut following rounds of 70 and 72 and will need a big week at next week’s Pinnacle Bank Championship as well as he is in 86th on The 25.
Meanwhile in Europe, Daniel Hillier earned a start in the Hero Open following his share of third at last week’s European Tour event.
He’s shot rounds of 69, 70, 67, 69 to finish 13-under for the tournament and in a tie for 23rd, 11 shots back of Scotsman Grant Forrest, who won the event.
Hero Open - Day Four
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 08: Daniel Hillier of New Zealand tees off on the 2nd hole during the final round of The Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews on August 8, 2021 in St Andrews, United Kingdom. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Hillier’s final round included three bogeys, four birdies, and an eagle.
He’ll play at next week’s Cazoo Classic in Kent, England.
New Zealand number one Ryan Fox also played in the Hero, having returned to the European Tour following the Olympics.
Fox finished in a tie of 34th place following scores of 74, 69, 69, and 67 to finish at nine-under for the event.
Josh Geary missed the cut.
Finally, Julianne Alvarez has finished in a tie for 64th at the Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Michigan.
She’s posted rounds on 71, 70, and 78 to finish at three-over par.