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This week the Phoenix Country Club has welcomed the 35 best players on the PGA Champions Tour as they battle it out for the right to be called the overall Champion of the Champions Tour.
With the winner of the year long standings able to cash in a bonus of $1,000,000, the battle on the course has been incredibly competitive and as we head into today’s final round there is plenty still to play for. Here are some things to keep an eye on.
Bernhard Langer Aims to Keep Remarkable Winning Streak Alive
Bernhard Langer has long been one of the best players that the Champions Tour has ever seen. A ten time money winner and multiple Senior Major winner, Langer has won at least one title in the last seventeen years. However, that record looked to be in serious danger after the German tore his Achilles back in February.
A serious injury to have to recover from, it wasn’t a shock that the German rehabbed quicker than expected and was back playing within a few months.
With this being his last chance to extend his remarkable winning run into eighteen years, Langer looked to be extra motivated yesterday as he fired his way to the top of the leaderboard with a solid round of 67.
Starting his third round with three birdies in his first five holes, Langer was able to keep it solid and steady as he posted two more birdies on his back nine to ensure that he would take a one shot lead into today’s final round.
Hot on the heels of the German is Steven Alker. The winner of this tournament last year, Alker was the Champions Tour money winner back in 2022 and started the week in second place on the overall standings.
Knowing that he needed to overhaul and better the efforts of Ernie Els who headed into the week in top spot, Alker has put himself in a prime position to win both this tournament and the overall money list with a win this week.
After a slow and steady start to his opening two rounds, the Kiwi needed a boost in his third round and he got exactly that with one of the best rounds of the week. Determined to cement his status as the best player currently plying their trade on the Champions Tour, Alker got off to a brilliant start with two birdies in his opening two holes.
From there it would only get better with four closing birdies on his front nine. Powering up the leaderboard, further birdies would follow on the tenth and eleventh holes. Seemingly with the course at his mercy, Alker would have been disappointed that he was only able to par his closing six holes and not end the day on top.
However, with Alker nine strokes clear of Els, it looks like the champagne could be on ice for later today.
Rounding out the top three in the standings is Australian Richard Green. Green will start today two shots off the lead held by Langer.
For a brief period yesterday it looked as if the Aussie was on course to set a course record with a blistering 27 on the front nine which included seven birdies.
Coming out of his bubble on the back nine, he would pair two birdies with one bogey and his exploits yesterday have given him an outside chance of ending the week as the overall money winner.
In order for that to happen, he will need to win this week and hope that Alker succumbs to the pressure.
How is The Overall Money List Looking?
As we have mentioned at the top of this article, currently finding himself in pole position to end the year as the Champion of the Seniors Tour is Steven Alker but he will need to press on today if he is to win a second money list title.
Coming into the week all eyes were on Ernie Els. The overall money leader thanks to three victories this season, things haven’t quite clicked for the ‘Big Easy’ this week and he is currently languishing down the field in a tie for fourteenth place, some ten strokes off the lead held by Langer.
The only way Els can win the overall money list for the first time is with a top two finish and in order to do that he will need to shoot one of the best rounds of his career and will also need some help from his rivals.
Pressure can do funny things and he will have to hope that Alker and Green both take a backwards step today.
Another man who would have headed into this week hoping to be in both the tournament and money list conversation is former three time major winner Padraig Harrington.
Harrington has shown on numerous occasions that he can still compete with some of the best on the DP World and PGA Tours, but this week hasn’t lived up to the billing.
Currently sitting in a tie for ninth and eight shots off the lead which is held by Langer, Harrington’s progress has unfortunately been checked by some untimely bogeys. The Irishman has been able to post numerous birdies this week but the five he posted yesterday were checked with three costly bogeys and it’s these bogeys that have derailed his progress.
He will start today fourth in the overall money standings and like Els, he will need those above him in the overall money standings to feel the pressure and drop back through the field.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
