Steven Alker Takes One-Shot Boeing Classic Lead Into Final Round

Steven Alker Takes One-Shot Boeing Classic Lead Into Final Round

The two-time Charles Schwab Cup champion birdied the 18th for a second-round 68, with Vaughn Taylor leading a crowded group of challengers.

Steven Alker

Steven Alker birdied the par-5 18th to complete a four-under 68 and take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the 21st Boeing Classic.

The 55-year-old New Zealander sits at 9-under after rounds of 67 and 68. Vaughn Taylor is his closest challenger at 8-under.

Alker made six birdies and two bogeys during the second round, regaining sole possession of the lead with his closing four. He is seeking his 12th PGA Tour Champions title and second victory of 2026 after winning the Cologuard Classic.

A win would also make Alker and Stewart Cink the only PGA Tour Champions players to record at least two victories in both 2025 and 2026.

Alker’s Boeing Classic record

Alker entered the week ninth in the Charles Schwab Cup standings with five top-10 finishes this season. His most recent was a tie for 10th alongside Bernhard Langer in the team-format American Family Insurance Championship.

Sunday will mark the 14th time Alker has led or shared the lead entering the final round on PGA Tour Champions. He has converted six of the previous 13 opportunities into victories.

Alker has recorded four top-10 finishes in five previous appearances, including a tie for second in 2024.

He is attempting to become the tournament’s sixth consecutive international champion. Australia’s Steve Allan won in 2025, following Canadian Stephen Ames’ consecutive titles in 2023 and 2024. Spain’s Miguel Ángel Jiménez won in 2022, one year after Australian Rod Pampling.

Taylor remains closest challenger

Taylor matched Alker’s 68 and also birdied the 18th to finish one behind. The 50-year-old rookie is pursuing his first PGA Tour Champions victory after winning three times on the PGA Tour, most recently at the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Søren Kjeldsen and Steve Flesch share third place. Kjeldsen shot 67, while Flesch played his final eight holes in 5-under and eagled the par-5 18th for a 69.

Richard Green produced Saturday’s lowest round, a bogey-free 65 that lifted him 31 places into a tie for fifth place at 6-under. His 7-under score matched the best round of the tournament.

Green is joined two shots behind Alker by Notah Begay III, first-round leader Rory Sabbatini and 2017 champion Jerry Kelly. Begay posted a bogey-free 67, while Sabbatini recovered from a difficult middle stretch with birdies on two of his final three holes to sign for 73.

Kelly opened with three consecutive birdies before finishing with a 71. He is seeking his 15th PGA Tour Champions title and second win of the season.

Seattle native Fred Couples moved into a tie for 10th with a second-round 68. Doug Barron and David Duval withdrew before the round.

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Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2Total
1Steven Alker-96768135
2Vaughn Taylor-86868136
T3Søren Kjeldsen-77067137
T3Steve Flesch-76869137
T5Richard Green-67365138
T5Notah Begay III-67167138
T5Ángel Cabrera-66969138
T5Rory Sabbatini-66573138
T5Jerry Kelly-66771138
T10Fred Couples-57168139
T10Scott Parel-56970139
T10Stewart Cink-56871139
T10Darren Clarke-56871139
T10George McNeill-56871139
T15Tommy Gainey-47268140
T15David Toms-47169140
T15Matt Gogel-47070140
T15Miguel Angel Jiménez-47070140
T19Greg Chalmers-37269141
T19Shane Bertsch-37071141
T19Kirk Triplett-37170141
T19Brian Gay-36972141
T23J.J. Henry-27270142
T23Alex Cejka-27468142
T23Gordon Burns-27171142
T23Ernie Els-27567142
T23Steve Allan-26973142
T28Stephen Ames-17370143
T28Paul Stankowski-17469143
T28Chris Devlin-17469143
T28Michael Block-17073143
T28Chad Campbell-17568143
T28Scott Verplank-16974143
T28Tim Herron-16875143
T35Kevin SutherlandPar7371144
T35Robert KarlssonPar7371144
T35John RollinsPar7272144
T35Rod PamplingPar7272144
T35Stuart ApplebyPar7470144
T35Boo WeekleyPar7470144
T35Thongchai JaideePar7173144
T35Brett QuigleyPar7470144
T43Dicky Pride+17372145
T43K.J. Choi+17372145
T43Tim Petrovic+17273145
T43Ricardo Gonzalez+17471145
T43Y.E. Yang+17570145
T43Mario Tiziani+17570145
T49Tom Pernice Jr.+27373146
T49Keith Horne+27373146
T49Ben Crane+27472146
T49Michael Wright+27175146
T49Vijay Singh+26977146
T49Michael Allen+27769146
T55Rocco Mediate+37374147
T55Tim O'Neal+37275147
T55Ken Tanigawa+37473147
T55Jeff Maggert+37572147
T55Billy Mayfair+37572147
T55Ryan Armour+37572147
T55Ryan Malby+37572147
T55Tag Ridings+37671147
T55Paul Goydos+37671147
T55Mike Weir+37671147
T65Heath Slocum+47276148
T65Joe Durant+47573148
T65Justin Leonard+47672148
68Charlie Wi+58069149
T69Tom Lehman+67377150
T69Billy Andrade+67674150
T69Duffy Waldorf+67674150
72Scott McCarron+77675151
73Ken Duke+87379152
T74Chris DiMarco+97677153
T74Woody Austin+97875153
76John Senden+138077157
W/DDoug Barron-73-73
W/DDavid Duval-78-78

Simon Bale

Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.

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Updated: August 16, 2026