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With Bernhard Langer’s quest to turn out to be the primary golfer to win three consecutive Chubb Basic championships derailed by an Achilles harm, Steven Alker’s quest for his personal three-peat takes middle stage this weekend in Naples.
The 52-year-old New Zealand native will go for his third consecutive PGA Tour Champions victory after capturing January’s season-opening Mitsubishi Electrical Championship at Hualalai and the 2023 season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship final November. He would turn out to be the tenth participant in Champions Tour historical past to win three straight occasions.
“Clearly the wins construct confidence, so I’m simply feeling good about my sport,” Alker stated Wednesday at Tiburón Golf Membership. “I’ve labored on my sport and my swing, and simply every part is nice, sort of the place I need it. That is the strongest subject we’ve had for some time, so simply received some work to do and go low.”
Work is what’s enabled Alker to remodel what was as soon as a middling professional profession into what’s quickly turning into one among golf’s best second acts. Alker earned his PGA Tour card 3 times however by no means recorded a top-10 end in a PGA occasion. He gained 4 occasions on the Korn Ferry Tour but additionally endured a stretch the place he missed the reduce in 21 consecutive begins.
As he approached 50, Alker stayed in glorious bodily situation and continued to work on his sport in preparation for the Champions Tour. After turning into eligible in July 2021, he performed his method into his first Champions occasion by way of a Monday Qualifier, which launched a run of six consecutive top-10 finishes.
Since then, he’s been one of many senior tour’s most profitable gamers. In 2022, Alker was named the Champions Participant of the 12 months after successful 4 occasions and ending top-3 in 13 of his 23 begins. Total, he’s ended up first (8) or second (10) in precisely one-third of his 54 Champions occasions with 40 top-10 finishes.
Alongside the way in which, Alker’s turn out to be a {golfing} instance of the ability of perseverance.
Steven Alker of New Zealand reacts after successful the PGA TOUR Champions Mitsubishi Electrical Championship at Hualalai Golf Membership on January 20, 2024, in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. (Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photographs)
“It simply goes to point out if you happen to simply sort of maintain dreaming and simply maintain chasing it then yeah, good issues can occur,” he stated. “I’ve been across the sport a very long time and gained numerous expertise. If I can cross a few of these experiences on to assist folks pace up the method, all the higher.”
Alker, who carded top-10 finishes in his two earlier Chubb Basic appearances, stated whereas the lengthy layoff between his current wins has been difficult from a momentum standpoint, it additionally has some advantages.
“It’s just a little bit robust with the start-and-stop schedule in the intervening time, however I believe having that break quite than simply mentally being sort of worn down … that’s most likely a superb factor,” he stated.
Langer, the winningest participant in PGA Tour Champions historical past, congratulated Alker on the 18th inexperienced following his victory final month in Hawaii. Alker stated he’s picked up just a few key classes competing alongside the legendary Corridor-of-Famer the previous three seasons.
“He’s all the time simply striving to get his sport in form each week to try to have an opportunity to win,” Alker stated. ”He simply does that very nicely.
“He’s received every part, and mentally he’s very sturdy, in order that’s a superb factor to be taught from, too.”
Alker hopes to make the most of these classes gleaned from Langer at this yr’s Chubb Basic to make just a little historical past of his personal.
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