PHOENIX — Steven Alker joined a select group Sunday.
Alker shot a final-round 5-under 66 to finish in a tie second place at the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and that was enough to clinch the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup, the season-long points race on the PGA Tour Champions.
A day after shooting a 63 to tie for low round of the week, Alker carded six birdies under warm, sunny skies during the nicest day of the week at Phoenix Country Club. He battled most of the day with Richard Green for second, with Green hanging around with a shot at the season title as well. But a series of unfortunate events for Bernhard Langer on the back nine brought both men into contention for the tournament title and the points title.
Langer held a five-shot lead on the front nine but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 and another on 17, after his second shot banged off a tree, brought him back to the pack.
In a span of a few minutes, Green birdied the 18th hole, Alker birdied the 17th and Langer bogeyed the 17th. Suddenly, there was a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.
Alker says he’s not normally a scoreboard watcher but did ask about where he stood late in the day Sunday.
“The first time I asked my caddie was what has Ernie Els done today on the golf course and that was walking off 17 tee,” he said. Alker started the week in pursuit of Els in the points race. “I knew Richard was right there as well, we had to kind of fend him off as well. But with birdie on 17 and now I’m like I’m tired and trying to win a golf tournament, defend a golf tournament.”
He added that he knew standing on the 18th tee exactly where things stood.
“One of the Golf Channel guys got me and said ‘Yeah, you’re tied, Richard made a putt at the last.’ It was exciting,” he said.
On the closing hole, Alker drilled his second shot, and it rolled across the green before coming to a stop on the back fringe.
After Langer made a dramatic putt for birdie to get to 18 under, Alker faced a birdie of his own from about 10 feet to tie and force a playoff but he left it short.
In the end, it was Langer winning the tournament and Alker winning the season-long title.
“It means a lot. It’s a season-long race, so consistency, you want to try to get some wins in there as well. I’m proud of the fact that I kept that consistency over the last few years,” said Alker, who won the season opener for his lone win in 2024. “Just competing with Bernhard and everybody out here…
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