PHOENIX – Steven Alker smashed the first nine golf holes at Phoenix Country Club in the first three rounds for the 2023 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He had a front score of 14 under over 54 holes compared to a back score of 3 under. It was for this reason that he had a four-shot advantage heading into the final day, at 17 under.
Sunday was another story. Alker birdied Nos. Alker, who birdied Nos. He had a par through eight holes, but a birdie on Sunday’s ninth hole allowed him to turn in at 1 under for the day.
Ernie Els was five under par through eight holes on Sunday, and at one stage, he cut Alker’s advantage to just one shot.
Els’ round cooled down as he parred 8 straight holes. But on 17, Els reached 17 under after a long putt and was again one shot behind the leader. Els had trouble on the par-5, 18th hole, as he hit into the lake near the greenside after his second shot bounced off the slope. Els would then make par and shoot 65 to finish at 17 under. Stephen Ames shot 65 as well and tied Els with 17 under.
Photos : View the action at Phoenix Country Club
Alker needed to par the final three holes in order to win the tournament. He made par on 16, even though he pushed his birdie three feet beyond the hole. His lead was still one. He missed the green on 17 with a wedge, but putted into the green before tapping in to get a par. His drive on 18 skirted a fairway bunker but missed it. He chose to layup despite being 201 yards away. Lanny Wadkins, on the Golf Channel, said that Alker should have been short and left. However, he almost flew the green with his third shot. His ball then rolled down the backside of the rough.
Alker chipped in to two feet, knowing that he needed to be up and down to win the match by one shot. He had been 13 for 16 on scrambling shots up until this point. Alker, with Ernies Els waiting in the clubhouse and Stephen Ames on the practice green, drained his putt.
He said, “It is another victory. That’s the most important thing. It’s difficult to beat these guys. It’s great to have another one. I was stuck at six for quite some time, but getting another one is a big deal. It’s a big deal with friends and family here.
Alker, who won the title last year for a full season, now has two consecutive years of hardware to take home from his adopted state. The New Zealander, who has lived in Scottsdale since 1991, is a native of New Zealand.
He was also a little emotional when he mentioned that his former caddie Sam Workman had died in February.
“Troy [Martin], since Sam died, he has been a great stud. He’s always been a good stud. It was a huge flag. I’m so glad I got it for him today.
Alker spoke of Workman’s favorite baseball club. “You can see people talking about Go Sam and Go Astros everywhere,” he said. We heard that a lot this week. He was somewhere.
Els spoke about his putting which had a slight stutter after Thursday.
He said, “I putted beautifully the first day, but then I missed two and I was a bit doubtful for the rest week.” “I fought well. You’re uncertain about the line when you’re feeling a bit unsure. I was hoping that this putt [on nine] would turn left, but it didn’t. This slowed down my pace, and slowed down the momentum. I can look at those.”
Steve Stricker also collected a trophy at the 18th hole, after clinching the series title in the first of the three playoff events. He was a last-minute WD for Phoenix. The night before the first tournament, he announced that his father had been admitted to the hospital.
Bonus money
The top five finishers of the Charles Schwab Cup race season-long earned more money on Sunday.
- Steve Stricker: $1 Million
- Steven Alker, $500,000
- Ernie Els, $300,000
- Padraig Harrington, $200,000
- Bernhard Langer, $100,000
