Steven Alker of New Zealand hits a tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Simmons Bank Championship 2024 at Pleasant Valley Country Club. Photo / Getty Images
New Zealand’s Steven Alker has carded a bogey-free, 10-under-par 62 to secure the first-round lead at the penultimate PGA Tour Champions playoffs tournament.
Alker matched his lowest 18-hole score on the Champions Tour by racking up eight birdies before finishing the round with an eagle on the par-5 18th in the inaugural Simmons Bank Championship on Friday in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The 53-year-old slipped past South Africa’s Ernie Els for first place in the projected Charles Schwab Cup standings.
“You want to try to go low out here, just keep pedal to the metal and just try to shoot the best score,” Alker said. “You look at the leaderboard and you saw 7s and 8s and thought just try to keep going.”
The top 36 players in the standings after Sunday’s final round at Pleasant Valley Country Club will advance to next month’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.
