Alker shoots 63, rallies to win Senior PGA Championship for 1st major

Ten months ago, Steve Alker was about to turn 50 without any guarantees of getting on the PGA Tour Champions because his professional career left plenty to be desired.

Over three decades, he played more than 550 tournaments on six tours. Only three of those seasons were on the PGA Tour. Two other seasons were in Europe.

Now the New Zealander is the hottest player on the senior circuit.

His latest and greatest feat came Sunday at Harbor Shores by Lake Michigan when Alker overcame a four-shot deficit by making nine birdies in a closing 8-under 63 to capture the Senior PGA Championship. His three-shot victory over Stephen Ames was Alker's fourth in his last 11 tournaments.

“It's been a great ride out here and I'm enjoying myself,” said Alker, who earned $630,000 with his third victory of the year, pushing his season earnings to just over $1.8 million. “The first couple of weeks were OK. I wouldn't say I'm comfortable yet, but just comfortable playing with the guys out here.”

Alker finished at 16-under 268. Alker's amazing play this season has certainly impressed his colleagues, especially Ames, who managed a 70 to finish runner-up. Bernhard Langer, the 64-yearold wonder from Germany, briefly tied for the lead on the back nine and shot 71 to finish third.

“I've watched Steven play on the European tour and the Korn Ferry Tour,” said Ames, whose round included four birdies and three bogeys. “All of a sudden out here, wow. It's fantastic, great to see.”

The victory also secured Alker a spot next year in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill. So pedestrian was life in golf before 50 that he will be making his PGA Championship debut.

Alker, who birdied three of his first five holes, bogeyed the difficult 443-yard seventh but then ran off four birdies in a row beginning at No. 8. He added birdies Nos. 15 and 16 to close the door on the competition.

Ames, who had a share of the 36-hole lead with housemate Scott McCarron at 8 under and was the solo 54-hole leader by two strokes over Langer and Weir, said Harbor Shores played different Sunday because of warmer temperatures in the low 80s and south-southwest wind gusting to 25 mph.