Steve Alker clings to victory in season-ending tournament
Steve Alker clings to victory in season-ending tournament
Steve Alker started the final round at the Phoenix Country Club in Arizona with a commanding four-shot lead.
But come to the final hole of the $US3 million Charles Schwab Cup Championship, that lead for the New Zealander had dwindled to one and more drama was about to follow.
Caption: Steve Alker celebrates with the Charles Schwab Cup after his win at the Phoenix Country Club in Arizona Photo credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The 18th hole was a par five and Alker chose the safer option of laying up with his second shot which left a wedge from about 80 metres for his third.
As Alker hit his third shot, the television commentator said: ``He needs to go left and short.’'
As the ball landed the commentator added with surprise: ``Oh and it’s right and long. What is he thinking?’'
The ball went through the back of the green and near a water hazard.
Alker was left with a nervous chip shot. He left it short by about three feet and, considering what was riding on it, he expressed great relief at seeing the ball go in the hole.
“I made it exciting here on 18,” Alker said afterwards, “but that wasn’t the plan, I’ll tell you.”
Alker said his caddy told him the percentage shot was to lay up with his second.
``He said you lay up to 100 (yards) and you are going to make four 75 percent of the time.’’
Not that Alker really considered going for the green in two.
``It never really entered my mind. It was a perfect five iron but I didn’t need to.’'
Caption: Steve Alker gives a fist pump after winning the $US3 million Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona Photo credit: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images).
The win was a big pay day for Alker who is from Hamilton but has lived in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, for the last 21 years.
The tournament’s winning purse was $US528,000 but Alker also won an additional $US500,000 for finishing second on the season-long Charles Schwab Cup. That totalled $1.7 million in New Zealand dollars.
The win was Alker’s second of the year on the PGA Tour Champions which is golfers aged 50 and over.
Alker, 52, won the season-long title last year and he has now won seven times on the tour in three years. His earnings on the PGA Tour Champions are $US7.1 million.
Alker was delighted just to put another win on the board.
“It’s another win. To beat these guys ... it’s hard to win out here.”