Steven Alker Bio
Steven Craig Alker, born 28 July 1971, is a New Zealand professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour Champions. He is widely regarded as one of the most consistent senior players of his era, with a record built on accuracy, patience, and a sharp short game. In 2022, he captured the season-long Charles Schwab Cup, the most prestigious points race on the PGA Tour Champions, and added a second title in 2024.
Standing 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) tall, Alker turned professional in 1995 and has built a career that spans the PGA Tour of Australasia, the European Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, the former Buy.com Tour, and the PGA Tour Champions. He has accumulated 23 documented professional wins across multiple tours and is known for resilience, having rebuilt his game and ranking late in his career.
Early Life and Background
Steven Craig Alker was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, on 28 July 1971. He grew up in the same city that would remain one of his two main homes as an adult. Hamilton, situated in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island, has a strong local golfing culture, and the sport was a natural fit for a young Alker who developed his game in clubs around the region.
From his early years, Alker was drawn to competitive golf, a path that would carry him from local amateur circuits to international tours. He married his wife, Tanya, in 2003, and the couple has two children. His family life has remained largely private, with Alker preferring to keep the focus on his results rather than his personal affairs.
Path to Professional Golf
Alker turned professional in 1995 and became a member of the PGA Tour of Australasia that same year. His early schedule included events across New Zealand and Australia, where he built a foundation in tournament play. In 1998 and 1999, he stepped onto bigger stages, playing the European Tour, and in 1999 he also competed on Europe’s developmental Challenge Tour.
By 2000, his form on the Canadian Tour earned him the Order of Merit title, marking his first major individual tour award. He then relocated to the United States to pursue opportunities on the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit, the Buy.com Tour, where he competed in 2002. After graduating to the full PGA Tour in 2003, he was unable to retain his card, an experience that tested his resolve but did not end his ambitions.
Steven Alker Career
Early Career (1995–2008)
Alker’s first decade as a professional was defined by steady improvement across multiple tours. He logged time on the PGA Tour of Australasia, the European Tour, the Challenge Tour, and the Canadian Tour, gradually refining his craft. His 2000 Canadian Tour Order of Merit title confirmed that he had the consistency to compete at a high level week after week.
After his stint on the PGA Tour in 2003, he returned to the developmental ranks from 2004 to 2006. In 2007 and 2008, he went back to Europe, playing both the European Tour and the Challenge Tour. These travels broadened his course experience, exposing him to links golf, parkland layouts, and varied weather conditions, all of which later proved useful in senior competition.
PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour Comeback (2009–2016)
Alker rejoined the PGA Tour’s developmental tour, then known as the Web.com Tour, in 2009. His persistence paid off in 2014, when he won the Cleveland Open by beating Dawie van der Walt on the 11th playoff hole, a tour record for the longest playoff in the event’s history. That season, he finished 20th in the Web.com Tour Finals, earning his PGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season.
In 2016, Alker qualified for The Open Championship after tying for second at the Final Qualifying event at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, an important milestone in his career. Although he had earlier missed the cut at the 2013 U.S. Open, his Open appearance underscored his ability to compete on the sport’s biggest stages.
PGA Tour Champions Breakthrough (2021–2024)
Steven Alker turned 50 in July 2021 and quickly made his mark on the PGA Tour Champions. In November 2021, he captured the TimberTech Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, and his early senior earnings already exceeded what he had made in his entire PGA Tour career. That single fact captured how dramatically his fortunes had changed since joining the senior circuit.
He carried that momentum into 2022, winning the Rapiscan Systems Classic and the Insperity Invitational, and finishing runner-up at both the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai and the ClubCorp Classic, losing the latter two in playoffs. In May 2022, he won his first senior major at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan, closing with a 63 to win by three strokes. He finished third at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, which locked up the season-long Charles Schwab Cup and the $1,000,000 first prize, along with the Arnold Palmer Award and the Byron Nelson Award.
In November 2023, he won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club by one stroke over Ernie Els and Stephen Ames, securing second place in the season-long standings. By 2024, he had added a second Charles Schwab Cup, a second money title, and a second Player of the Year award, cementing his status as one of the circuit’s leading figures.
Continued Form (2025)
Alker’s 2025 campaign opened strongly when he won the Cologuard Classic in March. The victory added to his collection of senior titles and reinforced his reputation for fast starts. He continued to chase milestones, including further Byron Nelson Award recognition, an honor tied to the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour Champions.
Driving Style and Strengths
Steven Alker is known for his accuracy off the tee, a reliable iron game, and a sharp short game that has held up well on fast senior greens. His strategy emphasizes position over power, choosing clubs and lines that keep him in play and out of trouble. That steady, course-management approach has made him especially effective on venues where placement matters more than distance.
Notable Events and Milestones
Alker’s signature moments include his record-breaking 11-hole playoff win at the 2014 Cleveland Open, his senior major victory at the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and his two Charles Schwab Cup titles in 2022 and 2024. He has also represented New Zealand in team competitions and has been a steady presence at The Open Championship qualifiers.
Steven Alker Career Wins
Steven Alker has accumulated 23 documented professional wins across multiple tours. His victories are spread across the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Korn Ferry Tour and its predecessor circuits, the PGA Tour Champions, the European Senior Tour, and several other events. The most decorated stretch of his career has come since 2021 on the PGA Tour Champions, where his consistent play has produced multiple titles and major awards.
PGA Tour Champions Highlights
Alker has posted 11 wins on the PGA Tour Champions, with his breakthrough coming at the 2021 TimberTech Championship. He added the 2022 Rapiscan Systems Classic, the 2022 Insperity Invitational, the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and additional victories in 2023 and 2024. His most recent win at the time of writing came at the 2025 Cologuard Classic. He has been a regular contender in playoff events and has posted a 2–3 record in PGA Tour Champions playoffs.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the senior circuit, Alker has 3 PGA Tour of Australasia wins, 4 Korn Ferry Tour wins, 2 Canadian Tour wins, 2 European Senior Tour wins, and a small number of additional titles. His 2000 Canadian Tour Order of Merit remains a key career award, signaling his early success as a touring professional.
Steven Alker Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Steven Alker was raised in Hamilton, New Zealand, in a family that supported his early interest in golf. While details about his parents and siblings are kept private, the support of his close relatives helped him pursue a career that demanded long periods away from home.
Personal Life
Steven Alker has been married to his wife, Tanya, since 2003, and the couple has two children. He splits his residence between Hamilton, New Zealand, and Fountain Hills, Arizona, in the United States, allowing him to stay close to family while remaining near major PGA Tour Champions venues. His family life remains largely out of the public eye, with Alker preferring to keep attention on his game.
2025 Season Performance
Steven Alker’s 2025 PGA Tour Champions season began with a win at the Cologuard Classic in March, signaling that his form from the previous year had carried over. That early victory gave him valuable Charles Schwab Cup points and a strong foundation heading into the spring and summer events. He also continued to add to his Byron Nelson Award credentials, a season-long honor for the lowest scoring average on the circuit.
By the middle of the season, Alker remained a fixture near the top of the Charles Schwab Cup standings, a position he has occupied for much of the past three years. With multiple wins in 2024 and a fast start in 2025, he entered the late-season events as one of the players to beat in the playoff race. His consistency in both regular events and majors reinforced his standing among the tour’s elite.
Looking ahead, Alker is positioned to remain a leading contender for the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup. Should he maintain his current form, he has a strong chance of adding more senior titles and possibly claiming the season-long title for a third time. His mix of accuracy, course management, and experience continues to make him one of the most respected players on the PGA Tour Champions.