Three Things to Know from the Final Round at Harbor Shores

Steven Alker captured his maiden major title on PGA Tour Champions Sunday at Harbor Shores – and he did it in style, to boot.

Alker, who won for the third time this season on the over-50 circuit, fired a final-round 63 to tie the lowest final round in KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship history.

The 50-year-old held the first-round lead but sat four shots back heading into Sunday’s finale. His streak of fine play over the past 12 months continued in the final round of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and after his Sunday 63, Alker emerged as the champion by three shots over Stephen Ames.

Here are three things to know as we put a bow on the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

Credit: Getty Images

ALKER’S AWESOME RUN

Steven Alker’s win at Harbor Shores is part of a miraculous turnaround from the New Zealander since he turned 50.

Just 15 events ago on PGA Tour Champions Alker needed to Monday Qualify just to get into a field.

There will be no such worries any time soon. His last five starts on PGA Tour Champions have produced results of 1-2-1-T3-1.

Alker’s win at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship was his third title this season. It was also his seventh top-5 finish in nine starts. Alker earned $630,000 for this week’s first-place prize – adding to the total since turning 50 that’s more than what he earned in almost 400 starts on the PGA and Korn Ferry Tours.

This was Alker’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship debut. He becomes the 27th man to win the championship in his first try and second in a row – Alex Cejka did the same thing last year at Southern Hills Country Club.

Credit: Getty Images

LANGER JUST SHORT OF HISTORY

Through the mid-point of Sunday’s finale at Harbor Shores, it looked like Bernhard Langer was going to make history. The near 65-year-old was one shot ahead and had a chance to win his second KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and become the oldest winner in the championship’s history.

Although it was not to be on this day, Langer still finished third. It was his sixth top-5 finish at the KitchenAid Senior PGA. He won this championship in 2017.

Langer is continuing to show himself as an ageless competitor on PGA Tour Champions. He has 43 victories on the circuit and continues to put himself in the mix at the biggest events.

“It was absolutely a missed opportunity,” Langer admitted. “But there’s no reason to throw in the towel. It’s just a matter of working out the kinks that I’m experiencing and get my ‘A’ game back.”

Jock Hutchison remains the oldest winner of the KitchenAid Senior PGA. He was 62 when he won in 1947. Langer was 59 years, 9 months, and 1 day old when he won in 2017.

PGA FRISCO UP NEXT

PGA Frisco, the new headquarters of the PGA of America, will host the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – the first Championship contested on the Gil Hanse design.

PGA Frisco will also host the 2029 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

There will be 26 championships hosted there between 2023 and 2034 including the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and of course, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.