Category: PGA Tour Champions

Padraig Harrington leads 2022 U.S. Senior Open; Steve Stricker is just a shot back after 36 holes

It’s setting up to be a battle of the 2021 Ryder Cup captains at the U.S. Senior Open.

It’s setting up to be a battle of the 2021 Ryder Cup captains at the U.S. Senior Open.

Padraig Harrington posted a bogey-free 65 that featured six birdies Friday to get to 6 under after two rounds and take a one-shot lead over Steve Stricker at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Stricker fired a second-round 69 despite a double-bogey 7 on his sixth hole to finish at 5 under.

Stricker and Harrington finished 1-2 at the first major on the PGA Tour Champions’ 2022 schedule at the Regions Tradition in May, but it was a runaway, six-shot win for Stricker, who led his team to a Ryder Cup rout over Harrington’s Great Britain & Ireland squad.

Maybe this time will be different for Harrington, who is seeking his first win in his 11th outing on the senior circuit.

Rob Labritz is in solo third after two days. Steven Alker, who has four wins and 17 top-10s in 20 starts since joining the Champions tour, shot a 67 to get to 3 under. He’s among a group of five golfers tied for fourth.

Also in that group is Jay Haas, who bested his age by one during Thursday’s first round. He shot a 72 on Friday. Defending U.S. Senior Open champ Jim Furyk shot a and is tied for 54th and made the cut on the number at 5 over.

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Bernhard Langer missed a cut for the first time ever on the PGA Tour Champions

In his 304th tournament on the PGA Tour Champions, Bernhard Langer accomplished a first.

Bernhard Langer joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2007. He’s amassed 43 wins on the circuit, second all time. He’s the leading money winner on the tour with $32,860,401 in on-course earnings.

But Friday, Langer, 64, achieved a first in his 304th tournament on the senior circuit.

He missed a cut.

Langer posted scores of 74-75 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, over the first two days of the U.S. Senior Open to finish at 7 over, tied for 71st. He missed the cut by two strokes and undoubtedly felt awkward driving away from the course on a Friday, knowing he won’t be back for the weekend.

It should be noted that most Champions tour events don’t have a cut. The U.S. Open, along with four other senior majors, are tournaments that do have cuts.

Langer’s opening round this week had two bogeys and a triple bogey. Friday, it was worse, as he carded four bogeys and a double bogey. He had just four birdies over two days.

The only other time Langer didn’t finish a senior event was when he had a WD in 2015 ACE Group Classic.

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Jay Haas beats his age, shares first-round lead with Mark Hensby at 2022 U.S. Senior Open

Jay Haas is the fifth player in U.S. Senior Open history to shoot or beat his age.

In April, Jay Haas became the oldest golfer to make the cut at a PGA Tour event when he teamed with son Bill at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

On Thursday, Haas had himself another day, shooting a first-round 67 and beating his age by one in the first round of the 2022 U.S. Senior Open. It’s the seventh time he’s shot his age.

He is the fifth player in U.S. Senior Open history to shoot or beat his age, joining Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Harold McSpaden and Jerry Barber.

“That’s a pretty good score to break (your age) on a course like this,” said Haas.

Mark Hensby, who won the 2004 John Deere Classic for his lone PGA Tour victory, also shot a 67 to co-lead after 18 holes.

Jim Furyk, the defending U.S. Senior Open champion, shot a 71. Steve Alker shot a 72 in his U.S. Senior Open debut.

The oldest U.S. Senior Open champion is Allen Doyle, who won the event in 2006 about two weeks before his 58th birthday.

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U.S. Senior Open: 10 players to watch and who we think will win

The U.S. Senior Open is the third of five majors on the Champions circuit in 2022.

Who will be the happiest golfer in the field come Sunday evening at the 42nd U.S. Senior Open at historic Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?

Jim Furyk?

Ernie Els?

Bernhard Langer?

Or, maybe someone else?

We take our best guesses here with the 10 players to watch as the Senior Open returns to Saucon Valley for the third time (1992, 2000) beginning Thursday. And we tell you who we think will win.

This marks the third of five majors on the senior circuit in 2022.

The field has 156 players. Here’s our 10 with their Thursday tee times in parentheses.

Steve Stricker (2:04 p.m. on the 10th tee)

He won the Senior Open three years ago, still spends some time playing the regular PGA Tour, and has 30 top 10s in 36 Champions Tour starts. Pretty impressive stuff.

Bernhard Langer (2:04 p.m. on the 1st tee)

He’ll be 65 in August and is still beating guys on this Tour (where the minimum age is 50) regularly. In 10 starts this season, he has a win, a second and two thirds. Remarkable.

Bob Estes (7:52 a.m. on 10th tee)

Bob Estes? Yeah, a bit of a dark horse pick here, but he’s the leading putter on the Champions tour and Saucon Valley’s greens are nasty.

Jim Furyk (8:34 a.m. on 10th tee)

He’s the defending Senior Open champ; the crowd will be behind him because he’s a Pennsylvania native (Manheim Township High School); and he’s a name player with plenty of game.

Darren Clarke (7:52 a.m. on 1st tee)

Maybe I’m falling for the name recognition here since Clarke has no top 10s on the Champions tour this season, but just call it a hunch.

Ernie Els (2:04 p.m. on 10th tee)

The “Big Easy” can still bomb it off the tee (he’s second in driving distance on the Champions tour at nearly 294 yards) and knows all about pressure situations (two U.S. Open wins and two British Open wins).

Padraig Harrington (7:52 a.m. on 1st tee)

He’s a three-time major champion who has had three runner-up showings in his last five Champions events. He comes in hot and that’s never a bad thing.

Jerry Kelly (8:34 a.m. on 1st tee)

One of the Champions tour’s good guys, he’s worth following around the course just for his commentary. But he can play, too, and has a win and a third place this season.

Miguel Angel Jimenez (2:04 p.m. on 1st tee)

Still going strong, and still enjoying his cigars, Jimenez has two wins and two third-place finishes in 11 Champions starts this season. That’s smokin’.

Steven Alker (2:04 p.m. on 1st tee)

If you follow the Champions, you know about this guy. He won the Senior PGA Championship last month and is the top-ranked player among the 50-and-over set.

The winner?

I’d love to see Kelly get his first major and it would be a blast if Jimenez won, with his cigar and freewheeling style reminding many here of legendary 1992 champion Larry Laoretti. But the nod here goes to the steady and straight off the tee Stricker as your winner.

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Kaulig Companies to become title sponsor for Senior Players Championship, which will stay at Firestone Country Club

Kaulig Companies will supplant Bridgestone as the title sponsor of the Senior Players Championship.

For a while, the financial commitment required for Kaulig Companies to become the title sponsor of the PGA Tour Champions’ Senior Players Championship was daunting.

“On first blush, people would say, ‘Oh, let’s pass because, you know, it costs some money,’” said Tim Clepper, president and CEO of Kaulig Companies.

But then Clepper and Executive Chairman Matt Kaulig thought about the memories they’d already made at Firestone Country Club.

Kaulig, 49, a Cincinnati native, played quarterback at the University of Akron from 1992-95, married a Zips cheerleader, and put his corporate headquarters in the area. He was a tournament volunteer during his UA days, driving a van at the prestigious PGA Tour event.

“My earliest thing was Davis Love III was in our vehicle and we just thought that was the coolest thing ever,” Kaulig said.

Clepper, 47, brought his sons when they were babies, remembering the day Zach Johnson flipped his 3-year-old a golf ball. While a student at Kent State, he and his father made it “our thing” to attend the Bridgestone Invitational, won by Tiger Woods eight times.

“It’s these kind of memories that we have in our own backyard that we’re excited to take to the next level,” Clepper said

The event’s philanthropic goals, shared by Kaulig Companies, sealed the deal.

It was announced Wednesday that Kaulig Companies will supplant Bridgestone as the title sponsor of the Senior Players Championship with a four-year agreement starting in 2023.

Kaulig Companies’ sponsorship will keep the event at Firestone through at least 2026. Bridgestone will continue to be a partner in the event, according to Miller Brady, president of PGA Tour Champions.

The announcement was made during media day for the 2022 Bridgestone Senior Players, set for July 7-10, 2022. Among those attending were Akron mayor Dan Horrigan and Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro.

This year, a field of 79 will compete for a $3 million purse in the 72-hole event. The 2023 tournament will be held July 13-16.

Don Padgett III, executive director of the Bridgestone Senior Players, said Kaulig Companies will be only the third title sponsor in seven decades of tournament golf at Firestone, joining NEC and Bridgestone.

“And when we say 70 years, we’re the fourth longest-running venue of consecutive professional golf in the country,” Padgett said. “The other venues are Augusta National, Pebble Beach and Colonial in Ft. Worth, so that’s pretty good company to be in.”

Through Northern Ohio Golf Charities, professional golf at Firestone has given over $30 million to area causes. Clepper said Akron’s I Promise School, founded by LeBron James, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are among the 150 charities Kaulig Companies have supported. Kaulig said he and his wife Lisa will serve as chairs of Akron Children’s Hospital’s Walk for Babies this year.

Clepper and Kaulig had no idea they were signing on for the 70th anniversary in 2023.

“That’s a huge deal,” Clepper said.

“When Don said that today, 70 straight years, it is special and it’s a responsibility that we take very seriously,” Kaulig said. “Bridgestone has been unbelievable for the community and for this tournament over the last 16 years. We want to take it to another level and be great and make Akron proud.”

Firestone hosted the PGA Tour’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational from 2006-2018 before the event moved to Memphis, Tennessee, under the sponsorship of FedEx. With Bridgestone’s continued support, Akron was then awarded one of the Champions Tour’s five senior majors. Steve Stricker (2021), Jerry Kelly (2020), and Retief Goosen (2019) have captured titles at the iconic South Course.

Kaulig Companies Limited is the single-member family office (SFO) for Kaulig and his immediate family. Its business platforms include sports and entertainment, marketing and event management, private equity, real estate and investment advisory services.

Its sports interests include Kaulig Racing, a NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series team. Now it will expand its footprint into golf.

“If it was a golf tournament in Florida, I don’t think it would have as much interest,” Kaulig said. “We do like sports, the excitement of sports, and what it can do for us. We have NASCAR and that’s all about sponsorship and your logoed up everywhere. Just to have our name as the title sponsor, the name of the golf tournament right here in Akron is really special to us.”

Clepper sees broad marketing opportunities with the relationships Kaulig Companies has developed.

“We can bring partners together, new partners here to this event, which will ultimately help us raise money for the charities in the community,” Clepper said. “Ultimately this is a charity event and the more brands and friends and fans that we can bring to this tournament, the more money we can raise, the more money we can give back.”

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Thongchai Jaidee, once a paratrooper in Thailand, is now a PGA Tour Champions winner

Thongchai Jaidee won the 2022 American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wisconsin.

MADISON, Wisc. — The leaderboard was crowded throughout the final round Sunday during the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge. At one point, nine golfers were tied for first.

Thongchai Jaidee, a former paratrooper in the Royal Thai Army, calmly waited for his opportunity and then pounced to the claim the title.

Jaidee took sole possession of the lead with a birdie putt from around 20 feet on No. 17. He then made par on the 18th hole to become the first player from Thailand to win on the senior circuit.

He won with a 14-under 202 total after shooting a 68 on Sunday.

“I’m very, very happy to be on tour the more important thing I think. I think thank you to my caddie, the important more thing, too, because he helped me a lot. It’s family support, my sponsor support me for whole life, that’s more important things,” Jaidee said after his round. “Great tournament here. I played solid, solid, solid week.”

Much to the delight of local fans, Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker vaulted themselves into contention on the final day with strong play.

Kelly had three birdies on his front nine and was tied for the lead, but he couldn’t pull off his third straight victory in the event.

Kelly carded a 5-under 67 and finished two shots behind Jaidee, but he lamented missing three birdie putts on Nos. 16-18.

“I struck it well,” Kelly said. “I putted well; they just didn’t go in this time. I gave myself some good looks.

“I come into this week every year thinking, yeah, this is going to be my year, I want to knock this one off, and then I always end up here trying to rally at the very end,” Stricker said. “I’ve got to get off to better starts.”

Stricker will get a week to rest before the U.S. Senior Open Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It’s been an eventful year for Stricker with a Ryder Cup victory, a mysterious illness and then a golf comeback that included a major victory in the Regions Tradition in May.

“I’ve got a different perspective on life and all sorts of different things now,” Stricker said. “I still have some battles to kind of get over. I’ve still got to get stronger and continue to work on that part of it.

“I’m just thankful to be able to do this, to be able to continue to play, something that I really love to do. And yeah, so it’s come a long ways and the ups and the downs in these last six months were something else, but I’m glad where I’m at now.”

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Brett Favre, Derek Jeter bring out crowd at American Family Insurance Championship

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jiménez are tied atop the leaderboard at the American Family Insurance Championship.

MADISON, WI. — It seemed like Saturday was set up for the megawatt personalities at the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge.

There was a buzz among the spectators in the late morning when two huge sports utility vehicles pulled up to the clubhouse and Derek Jeter and Brett Favre popped out.

Those bold-faced names took part in the celebrity foursome alongside Juli Inkster and Andy North. Several uniformed police officers accompanied them to the driving range as fans in New York Yankees and Green Bay Packers gear clamored for autographs.

Even in the regular field, there was some star power grabbing pieces of the spotlight, with fan-favorite John Daly tying for the second-lowest round.

But when the second round was over, it was a relatively unknown golfer, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, who was tied atop the leaderboard with a more familiar name in Miguel Angel Jiménez at 10-under 134.

There are plenty of golfers within striking distance, so it could be a tight finish on Sunday.

Jaidee had a workmanlike effort with the lowest round at 7-under 65. Jiménez boasts a little more pizzazz with his ponytail, bespoke shoes and animated gestures.

“I’m going to have a bit of wine like every night,” Jiménez said after his 4-under 68. “Like every night, we’re going to enjoy the night and at 7:30 we have our dinner like every day. Have a cigar afterwards and go to sleep like a baby.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez is tied for the lead at the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison.

Daly always attracts a cult following with his bushy beard, multi-colored pants and ever-present Diet Cokes and cigarettes. After a 71 in the first round, he fired a bogey-free, 6-under 66.

“I made a few putts here and there, hit a lot of fairways, but the guys are going low,” Daly said. “It’s hard to win out here.”

Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly lacking energy at Am Fam Championship

Local celebrities Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly, the two-time defending champion, will be hard-pressed to contend for this year’s title.

Stricker shot a 3-under 69 and sits six shots behind the leaders.

“Had some opportunities there that I didn’t really take advantage of,” Stricker said. “Especially on the back nine: 11, 12, 13. Yeah, it was a little bit better today, but didn’t really get it in the hole very well at times. But it was better.”

The Edgerton native and Madison resident is balancing his duties as tournament host while trying to find consistency on the course after coming back from a serious illness.

“That’s been the problem with me since I’ve been back is just getting fired up,” Stricker said. “I missed a little putt at I guess it would have been 13 and hit it in there to 3, 4 feet. Missed it. Go back on the tee and beat up the tee a little bit. Then I finally get some energy and emotion.

“That’s what I’ve been lacking a little bit of, that mentality like I had before. And I don’t know why, it kind of comes and goes and I’m kind of going through the motions at times. It was better at times today, but still, it’s not my fiery self at times.”

Kelly is in better position at three shots back after also shooting a 69, but he can relate to the lack of energy. He’s coming off a playoff victory at the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I’m just tired,” Kelly said. “Normally I’m jacked. I really haven’t gotten as much adrenaline. I mean, that par on 17 got me about as excited as I’ve been this week. The eagle did yesterday on 16.”

Former LPGA star Juli Inkster watches as ex-Packers quarterback Brett Favre throws a football at University Ridge Golf Club on Saturday. They were part of a celebrity foursome at the American Family Insurance Championship.

Derek Jeter, Juli Inkster beat Brett Favre, Andy North in celebrity foursome

The star attractions of the day — Favre and Jeter — were at ease in the spotlight. Favre even tossed some footballs to fans on the 14th hole. The pairing of Jeter and Inkster beat Favre and North over nine holes, leading to a lot of good-natured gibes afterward.

“I had a blast as always,” Favre said. “I’m honored to be asked back to play in this year in and year out. My back was not cooperating. I’m not making excuses, I suck anyway.

“But I was glad I was able to fight through it and play. It’s always great to be back in Wisconsin and see the fans, especially how they support their athletics.”

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Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly have been through a lot recently. Now they’re trying to beat each other

“I know I have more fun in Wisconsin. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Spotted Cow and cheese curds? I mean, come on, yaderhey.”

MADISON, Wisconsin — It’s easy to tell which hole Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker are on at University Ridge.

The hometown heroes naturally draw the largest flocks of spectators at the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship.

As Stricker walked up to the first tee Friday morning, the Edgerton native and Madison resident drew a hearty applause from the public bleachers, which were back on the course after capacity was limited at last year’s event. Before he was introduced to the crowd, Stricker and his wife/caddie, Nicki, talked to a few friendly faces in the gallery and handed out hugs.

A few minutes after Stricker and his group started their round, Kelly made his way to No. 1 to the same warm reception from the crowd despite a slight drizzle.

The two old friends are inextricably linked, especially when it comes to the tournament in which Stricker is the host and Kelly is the two-time defending champion. And this year they have even more reasons to be thankful to be together in their home state.

The 55-year-old Stricker has endured some well-documented health issues, including mysterious ailments that hospitalized him last fall and a positive COVID-19 test that knocked him out of the Senior PGA Championship a few weeks ago. Kelly, 55, has been playing with a preoccupied mind in recent years as his wife, Carol, was diagnosed with cancer.

“We’ve been friends for a lot of years,” Stricker said before the tournament. “I was just telling somebody else we played junior golf together back in the early ’80s and that’s a long time ago all of a sudden.

“But we love his family. Carol’s been going through some tough times and so we’ve been trying to help and be there for them for that. They have a boy that’s a similar age to our oldest, so we’ve always been friends.”

Carol just got a clean scan after having a cancerous right kidney removed in October, and Kelly is coming off a victory in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.

So there’s a lot of emotion this weekend and it’s hard for Stricker and Kelly to focus strictly on golf.

MADISON, WISCONSIN – JUNE 10: Steve Stricker of the United States hits from a green side sand trap on the first hole during the first round of the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge Golf Club on June 10, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Steve Stricker not happy about finish to Friday’s round

Kelly shot a 4-under par 68 and was three shots behind first-round leader Steve Flesch. Stricker shot a 1-under 71 after a double-bogey on No. 17.

“It’s a busy week for sure but that’s no excuse,” a frustrated Stricker said after his round. “I should be able to go out there and put it behind me and play. But I didn’t today. Two more rounds and I’m going to have to shoot something pretty special both the rounds to get in there.”

Steve Stricker hits from a sand trap on the first hole on Friday.
Stricker is still trying to find his groove after losing almost 30 pounds in the last year, even though he won the Regions Tradition major last month.

“I’ve been drained for a while, since last November I think,” Stricker said. “I’m not quite there yet physically yet. There’s some good days and bad days yet.

“Yeah, it is what it is. I keep trying. I’m getting better, there’s no question. I feel good. My body isn’t reacting sometimes very well. That’s not the excuse today. I actually played pretty poorly, but managed my game around pretty well.”

Jerry Kelly is seeking his third consecutive win at the American Family Insurance Championship

Kelly won last year’s American Family Insurance Championship, which was played over a hot few days. That won’t be the case this year after several days of rain softened the course.

“It isn’t really cool but wet,” Kelly said. “It’s just not hot and fast so the ball’s not going as far. So it played a little longer than it normally does.”

Kelly finished strong with two birdies and an eagle on his last five holes. He hopes to carry that momentum over to Saturday and keep him in the mix for a Madison three-peat. Kelly also won the 2019 event — there wasn’t one in 2020 due to the pandemic — in a playoff with Stricker and Retief Goosen.

“I’m looking forward to the putting session, the range session tomorrow morning and lock in some of the things that I started feeling again that felt fantastic,” Kelly said. “Yeah, I’m definitely going to enjoy cooking and cracking open something (Friday night).”

The affable Kelly seemed loose after his round, a good sign considering the stress of the last year.

“I know I have more fun in Wisconsin,” he said with a smile. “I mean, why wouldn’t you? Spotted Cow and cheese curds? I mean, come on, yaderhey.”

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Jerry Kelly beats Kirk Triplett in a playoff at 2022 Principal Charity Classic on PGA Tour Champions

Jerry Kelly stayed composed through a weather delay and a playoff to win the 2022 Principal Charity Classic.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Jerry Kelly took advantage of a final round drop in standings by Steven Alker to win the Principal Charity Classic on Sunday, staying composed through an inclement weather delay and a playoff.

The last time the PCC went to a playoff was 2019, and Kevin Sutherland was the champion that year.

He finished with a birdie in the single playoff hole, while Kirk Triplett hit par, to claim the winner’s prize of $277,500. Both Kelly and Triplett finished at 18 under.

“It’s just a good old-fashioned afternoon,” Kelly said after accepting the championship trophy at the Wakonda Club. “It felt good all week, I just had to keep my patience in there, and that was what sent me through.”

That brings Kelly’s total Charles Schwab Cup winnings to $703,805. He was ranked 14th ahead of the PCC, with top-10 finishes in the Cologuard Classic, Chubb Classic and ClubCorp Classic. This was Kelly’s first win this season.

Kelly finished the second round on Saturday in a four-way tie for first. He shared the top spot with Kirk Triplett, Brett Quigley and Alker, all of whom shot 13-under 131 through the first two days of the PCC.

At the lightning delay Sunday, Kelly was tied for first with Triplett at 17 under through 15 holes. It was back-and-forth between the two frontrunners all Sunday, as Alker couldn’t continue his success from Saturday into Sunday’s competition and Bernhard Langer couldn’t find a way past the top two golfers.

Rain was expected Saturday and Sunday but didn’t hamper play during the second round. The final round didn’t go off as smoothly, and around 3:45 p.m. the horn was blown and play was suspended due to lightning.

Kelly said after the second round that weather often controlled the results of these tournaments more than anything else. But the weather ended up having little effect on the field.

Play resumed at 4:47 p.m. local time.

After returning from the delay, Kelly hit par on the 16th hole before recording a birdie on the 17th hole. He hit par on the final hole, which led to the playoff round. With the championship coming down to a playoff round, Kelly’s shot landed in better position compared to Triplett’s, and Kelly sank the birdie for the win.

Triplett’s lead after Friday’s opening round marked the seventh time he led or co-led the after the first round of a PGA Tour Champions event, but he had yet to win a tournament after posting the top score out of round one. That streak continued Sunday.

It was emotional moment following the win for Kelly, whose wife, Carol, has been dealing with the effects of kidney cancer.

“I had to miss Carol’s treatments that are going on right now for this tournament,” Kelly said. “I wanted to give her something to actually be happy about, and then she gave me the best present possible by having such clean scans on Friday afternoon.

“Big chills right now, great feelings. (Carol and my son are) the ones that make me stay strong out here even when I’m not strong. It’s everything.”

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Steven Alker wins KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship for third win in five starts

Steven Alker shot a 63 in the final round to win the 82nd Senior PGA Championship.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — A year ago, New Zealand golfer Steven Alker was preparing to turn 50 in two months so he could try to carve out a decent living on the PGA Tour Champions.

His professional résumé left much to be desired.

Now Alker is the hottest golfer on the senior circuit.

Sunday at the par-71, 6,762-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed Harbor Shores by Lake Michigan, Alker overcame a four-stroke deficit at the start by shooting an 8-under 63 in the final round that included nine birdies. His 16-under 268 earned him the 82nd Senior PGA Championship with a three-shot victory over third-round leader Stephen Ames for his third victory in his last four starts.

“It’s been a great ride out here and I’m enjoying myself,” said Alker, who earned $630,000, pushing his bankroll to $1,813,961 with his seventh top-10 finish. “The first couple of weeks were okay. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable yet, but just comfortable playing with the guys out here.”

Alker’s amazing play this season has certainly impressed his colleagues, especially Ames, who managed a 1-under 70 to finish runner-up at 13-under 271, three strokes ahead of 64-year-old legend Bernhard Langer of Germany, who closed with a 71.

“I’ve watched Steven play on the European Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour,” said Ames, whose round included four birdies and three bogeys. “All of a sudden out here, wow. It’s fantastic, great to see.”

The victory also secured Alker a spot in next year’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. “It’s just perseverance with a capital P,” Alker said about his career turnaround.

Alker, who birdied three of his first five holes, bogeyed the difficult 443-yard seventh but then ran off four birdies in a row beginning at No. 8. He added birdies at Harbor Shores Nos. 15 and 16 to close the door on the competition.

Alker, who played in the second-to-last group Sunday, was comfortable chasing Ames, Langer and Canadian Mike Weir.

“I was very, very calm,” he said. “I wanted it but I had a lot of ground to make up. I didn’t want to push too hard and go too aggressive. So I got a nice start, made some nice putts. I just kind of did everything well today.”

Ames, who had a share of the 36-hole lead with housemate Scott McCarron at 8-under and was the solo third-round leader by two strokes over Langer and fellow Canadian Mike Weir, said Harbor Shores played different Sunday because of warmer temperatures in the low 80s and south-southwest winds gusting to 25 miles an hour.

“The lines and clubs were different off the tee, but I think everybody adjusted well,” Ames said. “Obviously some (golfers) played better than others.”

One of them wasn’t Langer, who now has four top-10 finishes at Senior PGAs played at Harbor Shores but not a victory. Seeking his 12th senior major title, Langer bogeyed three straight holes starting at No. 12—doubling his bogey total of the first three rounds—for a closing 71 and a 10-under 274 for solo third. Four golfers tied for fourth at 9 under: Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (69), South Korea’s K.J. Choi (65), Weir (72) and California’s Paul Goydos (71).

Langer, who made four birdies on his front nine, had to play out of two divots at the 548-yard 10th before managing to save his par 5. “That really stopped the momentum,” said Langer, who then bogeyed Nos. 13 through 15. “It was obviously a missed opportunity. I was 14 under leading by one with eight holes to go and just didn’t close it.”

Ames birdied Nos. 2 and 3 to build a three-shot lead at 14-under. But Ames gave a stroke back with a bogey at the difficult 443-yard seventh hole overlooking Lake Michigan and Alker, Langer and others began to close in.

Langer caught Ames at 13 under with his third birdie of the day at No. 8 and then added another birdie at par-5 ninth to turn at 14 under.

Alker, meanwhile, started the day with four straight 3s, two of them birdies, and then after bogeying the seventh, strung together four birdies beginning at the short 376-yard eighth hole to reach 14 under through 11. When Ames birdied the 133-yard 11th, the three foreigners were in a three-way tie and had effectively separated themselves from the rest of the field.

The three-way tie didn’t last long as Langer made bogey from the fairway at the 12th, and then he hooked his tee shot at the 193-yard 13th into the rough on way to a second straight bogey to fall two back at 12-under.

Up ahead, Alker made birdie at the 508-yard, par-5 15th by the Paw Paw River after Ames and Langer bogeyed the 14th hole, and Alker suddenly found himself in control of the tournament at 15-under. His final birdie at 16 and two up-and-down pars at 17 and 18 secured it.

Alker leads the tour with three wins. He has three wins a tie for second and a tie for third in his last five starts.

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