TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Steve Alker won the Cologuard Classic with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff for the second straight year, beating Padraig Harrington with a 4-footer Sunday in mid-90 degree heat.
Last year at La Paloma, Alker beat Long Island club pro Jason Caron with a 12-foot putt on the first extra hole.
Alker won for the 11th time in 100 career starts on the PGA Tour Champions. The 54-year-old New Zealander was nine strokes back after opening with an even-par 71, then shot a 62 on Saturday to pull within two.
“I just made some simple mistakes the first round,” Alker said. “A couple three-putts and missed the odd green here and there, and it was kind of silly stuff. I tidied that up. I knew my game was in good shape.”
Alker closed with a 65 to post at 15-under 198. Harrington, playing behind Alker in the final group, hit his approach long and bogeyed the par-4 18th — missing a 10-foot comebacker.
Both players found the left side of the fairway on the 18th in the playoff, Harrington with a driving iron. The Irishman hit to the back of the green from 146 yards, leaving a 30-foot downhill putt that slid by on the right. Alker hit a gap wedge from 135 yards to set up the winning putt.
“Ultimately it all worked out,” Alker said. “One hundredth start, really special. I had no idea. It’s just gone so quickly, I’m having so much fun out here. To win here again is pretty special.”
Zach Johnson closed with a 67 to tie for third at 13 under in his second start on the 50-and-over tour. He won two weeks ago in Florida in his senior debut.
Tommy Gainey also was 13 under after a 68, Thongchai Jaidee (70) was 12 under. Sixty-eight-year-old Bernhard Langer (70) was another shot back with K.J. Choi (67), Thomas Bjorn (67) and Stewart Cink (67).
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Love & Hope & Magic: The Making of Jinx, the Musical,” is a documentary chronicling … Read morePremiere of Love & Hope & Magic: The Making of Jink, The Musical
Join us for an unforgettable evening as we set sail into the world of luxury river cruising!… Read moreLegendary Rivers & Tours Expo
San Francisco Symphony players get together in an intimate setting of the Gradus Ad Parnassu… Read moreSoirée Française: Our Favorite Violin Sonatas
Planning your dream wedding? Discover everything you need at the Wedding Fair in the Park – … Read moreWedding Fair in the Park
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
Disadvantaged = uneducated third world foreigners whose living habits are not aligned with the USA.
CA Is Burning said:
LITTLE - I think the time is here, have you considered MAID?
Thomas Morgan said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.