Steve's big payday

At the start of the year, it was unthinkable that three New Zealand golfers might be plying their trade of golf's richest tour in 2014. But Steve Alker made that possible yesterday; Stuff reports:

Steve Alker's relaxing season disappeared yesterday in the best way possible.
The US-based Hamilton golfer won the Utah Championship on the web.com Tour in the United States, massively boosting his chances of earning a PGA Tour card for next year.
With the win, achieved on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Australian Ashley Hall, the 41-year-old leapt into the top 20 moneylist on the second-tier professional tour. The top 25 earners at the end of the web.com tour season gain cards to play on the 2014 PGA Tour, and Alker is now one of three New Zealanders in with a shot of doing so.
Yesterday's win was worth NZ$144,000 to Alker.
"The goal now is obviously to stay in the top 25, while there's also the playoffs at the end of the year now," he said.
"I'd been looking to enjoy the year a bit more, not try and play too many tournaments. But this should still be enjoyable."
Alker entered the final round two shots behind leader Chad Collins of the US and had to stave off not just Hall, but American Will Wilcox, who shot the magical number of 59 in his final round charge.
But Alker produced a bogey-free five under 66 to end tied with Hall, who then had the honour on the par-3 playoff hole and immediately hit his tee shot into the water. He recovered to make bogey, but Alker's carefully planned par did the job.
"It's not a nice way to win, with Ashley hitting it in the water," Alker said.
"I hit a safe shot but I had a tough two-putt and got it down."
While his last professional victory was at the NZ PGA Championship at Clearwater in 2009, Alker said his nerves held up well.
"I got a nice start - I was three under after three holes, and four under through five. I played pretty solid all day and had a lot of chances on the back nine but didn't really get it done with the putter." While Alker is now 20th on the moneylist after starting the week at 149th, fellow Kiwis Tim Wilkinson (seventh) and Danny Lee (eighth) are also chasing US PGA Tour cards.
"There's certainly a chance for all three of us.
"Timmy has been playing very well and consistently all year, and so has Danny. It'd be great to get all three of us in there." 

This was a fantastic result for Steve Alker, the forgotten man of New Zealand golf. Even better was the fact that another former top Kiwi golfer, Frank Nobilo was calling the event on the Golf Channel.

Alker will need at least one more strong finish this season to graduate to the Big Tour; read on:

There are 11 more events on tour, with the season ending with a four-tournament playoff which also offers partial cards to the big tour and the chance to gain entry to most of the better tournaments on the PGA Tour for top finishers who had already finished in the order of merit top 25.  
Alker will play this week in Kansas City and then one of the big money events of the year on the tour in Boise before taking a week off.

Another top-10 finish before the season's end should lock Steve Alker into the top 25, whilst Tim Wilkinson and Danny Lee lust need to keep making cuts and earning pay-cheques; both are far enough up the rankings now that they should be headed to golf's Holy Grail next year. To have three Kiwis playing on golf's biggest stage would be quite something.