Steven Alker's dominance across first year on PGA TOUR Champions
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BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN - MAY 29: Steven Alker of New Zealand poses with the Alfred S. Bourne trophy after winning the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Harbor Shores Resort on May 29, 2022 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
By the numbers as Charles Schwab Cup leader celebrates 51st birthday
Written by Connor Stange
As Steven Alker celebrates his 51st birthday on Thursday, below is a look at how dominant he has been during his first “trip around the sun” on PGA TOUR Champions.
Top-10 Streak
On August 16, 2021, Alker shot 68 to finish T2 in a Monday qualifier at High Cedar Golf Club in Orting, Washington and earned one of four spots into that week’s Boeing Classic. He finished T7 at the event, which earned him a spot into the following week’s Ally Challenge.
In all, Alker reeled off six consecutive top-10 finishes to start his PGA TOUR Champions career.
| 2021 Tournament | Finish | Schwab Ranking After Event |
| Boeing Classic | T7 | 99th |
| The Ally Challenge | 3rd | 73rd |
| Ascension Charity Classic | T9 | 65th |
| Sanford International | T7 | 63rd |
| PURE Insurance Championship | T5 | 59th |
| Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS | T7 | 56th |
Playoff Performer
After finishing T16 in the 2020-21 regular-season finale (SAS Championship), Alker sat 55th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
During the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, Alker was the lone player to advance to the following event after starting the week outside of the qualification number.
• At the conclusion of the regular season, the top 72 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings qualify for the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.
• The top 54 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after the Dominion Energy Charity Classic advance to the TimberTech Championship.
• The top 36 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after the TimberTech Championship advance to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
| 2021 Schwab Cup Playoffs | Finish | Ranking Before | Ranking After | How Many Advance? |
| Dominion Energy Charity Classic | T4 | 55th | 51st | Top 54 |
| TimberTech Championship | Won | 51st | 35th | Top 36 |
| Charles Schwab Cup Championship | 2nd | 35th | 27th |
Money
In the past year, Alker has earned nearly $3.5 million on PGA TOUR Champions, accumulating $1.14 million in 2021 before amassing $2.32 million so far in 2022.
His PGA TOUR Champions earnings ($3.46 million) are more than he earned on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour combined ($2.31 million).
| Tour | Starts | Wins | Top-10s | Money Earned |
| PGA TOUR Champions | 23 | 4 | 19 | $3,467,568 |
| PGA TOUR | 86 | 0 | 0 | $841,849 |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 304 | 4 | 24 | $1,477,017 |
Best and Worst
Alker has made 23 starts and played 71 rounds on PGA TOUR Champions. Here is the breakdown:
| PGA TOUR Champions | Quantity | Notes |
| Wins | 4 | 17.4% of his starts |
| Top-3s | 12 | 52.2% of his starts |
| Top-5s | 15 | 65.2% of his starts |
| Top-10s | 19 | 82.6% of his starts |
| Top-25s | 23 | 100% of his starts |
| Worst Finish | T20 | 2022 Cologuard Classic |
| Rounds in the 60s | 52 | 73.2% of his rounds |
| Rounds of 65 or better | 13 | 18.3% of his rounds |
| Best Round | 62 | 2022 Rapiscan Systems Classic (Round 2) |
| Worst Round | 74 | 2022 Hoag Classic (Round 2) |
Major Performances
Alker played in all five senior majors in 2022, winning the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in his second major appearance. He has four top-3 finishes in five starts, and has finished no worse than T11.
| Major | Finish |
| 2022 Regions Tradition | T3 |
| 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship | Won |
| 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship | T11 |
| 2022 Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship | T3 |
| 2022 Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex | T3 |
Position by Round
In his 71 rounds on PGA TOUR Champions, here’s how many times Alker has been atop or near the top of the leaderboard (including final results):
| Position After Any Round | Quantity | Percentage |
| Led or co-led | 12 | 16.9% |
| Been inside the top 5 | 45 | 63.4% |
| Been inside the top 10 | 53 | 74.6% |
Stats Breakdown
Here is how Alker ranks on PGA TOUR Champions in several statistical categories this season:
| Stat Category | Value | Rank |
| Scoring Average | 68.15 | 1st |
| Greens in Regulation | 78.09% | 1st |
| Birdie Average | 4.73 | 1st |
| Eagles (Holes per) | 72 | 1st |
| All-Around Ranking | 44 | 1st |
| Putting | 1.73 | 3rd |
| Sand Save Percentage | 62.22% | 3rd |
| Total Driving | 34 | 4th |
Alker vs. the field
During Alker’s 13 starts in 2022, he has beaten or tied 1,137 of 1,192 competitors (95.4%) in regulation. In addition to his three victories, he has two playoff losses.
In his last nine starts, Alker has beaten or tied 899 of 917 competitors (98.0%) in regulation.
The Leader
Alker has led the Charles Schwab Cup standings for each of the last nine consecutive weeks, dating back to April.
His current lead in the points standings over No. 2 Padraig Harrington ($773,578) is larger than Harrington’s lead over No. 10 Thongchai Jaidee ($711,418).
