Golf: Alker makes cut in Vegas

Steven Alker is the only Kiwi to have made the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Photo / Getty

Veteran golfer Steven Alker is the only Kiwi to have made the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on the PGA Tour.

The 43-year-old Alker fired a two-under 69 in his second round today to move to a share of 45th at three-under for the tournament, seven strokes back from co-leaders Andrew Putnam and Russell Knox (-10).

Manawatu's Tim Wilkinson (68 and 74) missed the cut, which was at two-under, by two strokes, while fellow Kiwi Danny Lee (70 and 71) missed by one shot.

Both Wilkinson and Lee were on track to sneak inside the cut line but bogeys on their back nines proved costly and they will now have the weekend off.

Alker, who has made a return to the PGA Tour after more than a decade, will look to continue on his promising start to the tournament and make a climb up the leaderboard during the final two rounds.

Meanwhile, Auckland's Ryan Fox is the leader of the Western Australian Open after two rounds.

The Kiwi fired a six-under 66 during yesterday's second round at the Cottesloe Golf Club in Perth as he moved to -14 for the week. He holds a two-stroke lead over Australians Paul Spargo and Todd Sinnott.

Fox's second round included seven birdies and a bogey and continued on New Zealand's good form at the tournament where Tauranga's Josh Geary is the defending champion.
Geary was one of a collection of Kiwis to make the cut and sits in a share of 30th at five-under alongside Mathew Perry and Gareth Paddison, among others.

Lower Hutt's Mark Brown and countryman Peter Lee are in a share of 14th at five-under.
The Kiwis to miss the cut were: Mahal Pearce (-2), Michael Long (-1), Ben Campbell (E), Jim Cusdin (+1), Kieran Muir (+5), Nick Gillespie (+5), David Klein (+6).