Steven Alker wins Simmons Bank Championship on PGA Tour Champions

Kiwi golfer Steven Alker. Photo / Getty Images.

A stunning opening round has laid the platform for Kiwi golfer Steven Alker as he completed a memorable victory at the Simmons Bank Championship on the PGA Tour Champions.

Alker led from start to finish in the 54-hole tournament as he claimed his second win of the season, finishing 20-under par, seven shots clear of his nearest rival at the Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The 54-year-old never looked like losing following his incredible 61 opening round which saw him sit 11-under par after 18 holes. He then extended that lead after round two to sit 17-under before his final round 69 on Monday (NZ time).

It took Alker 44 holes before he got his first bogey, but the highlight of his tournament came on the very next hole when he scored an eagle on the par-5 10th.

EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT?!

Steven Alker holes out for eagle at the 10th @SBGolfChamp and extends his lead to 7 😱

📺 Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/QjV3AAEDsc

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 26, 2025

There's a new No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after @SBGolfChamp 👀

The moment Steven Alker secured the win in Little Rock 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KDb2nRJwdc

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 26, 2025

Alker is in the driver’s seat to win a second straight season-long Schwab Cup title, which would be his third in four years, after the win saw him catapult from fourth to first in the Charles Schwab Cup standings ahead of the tour finale, the Charles Schwab Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, next month.

Alker supplants Miguel Angel Jimenez, who had been No. 1 for most of the season.

He knows he will have to be at his best to retain his lead.

“You want to be as far ahead as you can,” Alker said. “There’s not much gap and probably five, six guys who can win it.

“I’ve been there, I know what it feels like and got it done, so hey, we’ll just get working on the game.”

The final will be a 72-hole event and feature the top ranked 36 players in the standings.