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Unheralded Kiwi golfer beats legends, becomes millionaire

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 8 Nov 2021, 11:44AM
Steven Alker during the final round of the TimberTech Championship. (Photo / Getty)
Steven Alker during the final round of the TimberTech Championship. (Photo / Getty)

Unheralded Kiwi golfer beats legends, becomes millionaire

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 8 Nov 2021, 11:44AM

Kiwi golfer Steven Alker has triumphed over some of the biggest names in golf history to claim his first victory on the PGA Champions Tour. 

The 2009 NZ PGA Championship title-winner shot a final round 68 to hold off a surging Miguel Angel Jimenez and claim victory at the TimberTech Championship in Florida and a cool $NZ429,000 prize, by far the largest of his career. 

His win on Monday takes his earnings through the first eight events of the season up to $NZ1.26m - a significant percentage of a professional career spanning 26 years. 

It is Alker's 12th professional victory and first since 2014. His highest ever world ranking of 122 came in 1997. 

Alker began the day one shot behind leaders Jim Furyk and Tim Petrovic after rounds of 68 and 63 to begin the tournament. 

On Monday, Alker fired yet another under-par round that included five birdies and a lone bogey as Petrovic went two-over and Furyk only managed to beat par by one shot. 

Jimenez threatened Alker's lead with a huge round of 66 but it wasn't enough to chase down the unheralded and, now millionaire, Alker. 

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