PHOENIX — Steven Alker needed to get up-and-down for par on the final three holes for a 1-under 70 that allowed him to hold on and win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday and a payoff of simply over $1 million.
Alker received the Schwab Cup a 12 months in the past. This time he did the subsequent smartest thing.
Steve Stricker clinched the season factors checklist earlier than the postseason started. By profitable at Phoenix Nation Membership, Alker completed second within the Schwab Cup for a $500,000 bonus. The 52-year-old from New Zealand received $528,000 for the match, his seventh title on the PGA Tour Champions.
Alker, who began the ultimate spherical with a four-shot lead, made it so much tougher than he wanted.
Els, who opened with 5 birdies in eight holes to get within the combine, was one shot behind on the par-5 18th when his 5-iron leaked simply sufficient to the best to bounce off the facet of the hill and into the water. He needed to scramble for a par and a 65.
Ames, a four-time winner this 12 months, birdied the 18th for a 65.
They have been nonetheless one shot behind Alker, who missed the inexperienced on the sixteenth and seventeenth and managed to avoid wasting par. Going to the par-5 closing gap, he selected to put up from what in any other case would have been a 5-iron. He figured he may make birdie 75% of the time by laying up, and all he wanted was a par.
However then his wedge to the 18th went too far and rolled down a slight financial institution on the again. He chipped that to simply inside 3 toes and holed the par putt to complete at 18-under 266.
“I made it thrilling right here on 18,” Alker mentioned, “however that wasn’t the plan.”
Stricker, whose six victories this 12 months included three majors, needed to withdraw initially of the week as a result of his father was hospitalized in Wisconsin. He nonetheless claimed the $1 million bonus with a 12 months so dominant he did not play a single Schwab Cup playoff occasion.
Alker received in late April however then did not win once more till the final match of the 12 months.
“It is one other win,” Alker mentioned. “To beat these guys … it is arduous to win out right here.”
Els completed third within the Schwab Cup and earned a $300,000 bonus, adopted by Padraig Harrington in fourth ($200,000) and Bernhard Langer getting $100,000 for ending fifth.
Stephen Ames wound up No. 6, outstanding contemplating he had 4 wins.
“I believe total it clearly is an effective season,” Ames mentioned. “4 wins in there, in my books I grade it as a B-plus solely as a result of I assumed it was a bit inconsistent. Final 12 months was much more constant the place I had extra alternatives to win. This 12 months I did not have as many, however I nonetheless received 4, which is good.”
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