Steven Alker has not misfired typically in his spectacular PGA Tour Champions run, however he did so at the least opportune time late on Sunday afternoon at Pebble Beach Golf Links, offering a gap on which Steve Flesch cashed in with a victory in the PURE Insurance Championship.
Alker, the New Zealander who already had received 3 times in 2022, tried to attain the inexperienced at the par-5 18th gap together with his second shot, however hit his ball left and into the Pacific Ocean. Flesch, in the meantime, had laid up together with his second shot, then wedged his third to seven toes from the gap and made the birdie putt for the victory.
“Big goal of mine winning here at Pebble Beach,” Flesch mentioned. “A lot of great players have come through here and won. It’s exciting. I’ve always played well here. To get a chance at a victory today, Steven gave me an opportunity on the last hole, hitting it left, and I hit a good wedge shot.”
The victory was the second of the yr for Flesch and the third of his PGA Tour Champions profession. He completed with a four-under-par 68 for a 54-hole rating of 11-under-par 205. Alker shot a three-under 69 and tied for second with Ernie Els, who posted the spherical of the day, an eight-under 64.
Alker, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings, has been dominant since becoming a member of the senior tour final yr, and he appeared destined to win once more. He took a one-stroke lead into the par-3 seventeenth gap, however tugged his tee shot, the ball stopping on the left aspect of the bunker. He had to manufacture a stance that even would enable him to have a shot, which he then left brief. Hhe missed the par putt to fall right into a tie with Flesch and Els.
Flesch received with a textbook birdie at 18—a drive into the fairway, an ideal layup, a top quality wedge shot and a dead-center putt.