Steven Alker closed with a final-round 65, won for the second time on the PGA Tour Champions and celebrated immediately after draining a birdie putt on the 18th hole with ‘mic drop’ of his putter.
Hey, you gotta have some fun, right?
Alker was doing just that at the Rapiscan Systems Classic in Grand Bear Golf Club in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Sunday. He recorded seven birdies in a bogey-free closing round to win going away at 18 under over Padraig Harrington and Alex Cejka, who tied for second.
Alker was first eligible for the tour in July last year when he turned 50. He Monday-qualified for his first event on the circuit in late August and then rattled off six consecutive top-10 finishes to keep earning a spot in the next tournament. In November, he won the TimberTech Championship for his first win since 2014 on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Now he’s a winner again.
Alker had three bogeys in his first 14 holes on Friday but didn’t bogey again over the final 40 holes. His second-round 62 included 10 birdies—five straight on Nos. 9-13—setting the tournament and course record on the Nicklaus-design. It’s his lowest score on the senior tour and it’s the lowest round in the five tournaments so far on the Champions tour schedule in 2022.