Steven Alker carded a second consecutive bogey-free round to total 17-under 127, his lowest opening 36-hole score on PGA TOUR Champions, to carry a five-stroke lead into the final round of the Simmons Bank Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alker, who had carded a sensational 61 in his opening round, is seeking his 10th win on PGA TOUR Champions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 54-year-old, who won the Cologuard Classic earlier this year, is the only player in the field without a bogey through 36 holes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His five-stroke lead marks the largest 36-hole lead on PGA TOUR Champions since the 2024 PURE Insurance Championship (Paul Broadhurst, converted five-stroke 36-hole lead into three-stroke win)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is his 16th time leading\/co-leading after the second round on PGA TOUR Champions (5-for-15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He Is projected to move to No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after starting the week No. 4, having won the Charles Schwab Cup in two of the last three seasons (2022, 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former University of Arkansas golfer Tag Ridings is in second spot, having carded a second consecutive 6-under 66. The 51-year-old seeks his first win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justin Leonard, who won last week\u2019s Dominion Energy Charity Classic, sits solo third after second-round 68. He looks to become the first player to win back-to-back weeks since \u00c1ngel Cabrera (2025 Regions Tradition, 2025 Senior PGA Championship).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charles Schwab Cup leader Miguel Angel Jim\u00e9nez is tied 30th<\/sup> posted 70 and enters the final round at 1-underTwo-time defending champion Padraig Harrington (T38) followed a 2-under 70 with a 2-over 74.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, at the Bank of Utah Championships Michael Brennan, playing in his first as a professional, claimed a two-stroke lead entering the final round<\/p>\n\n\n\n He carded a 64 via seven birdies and one eagle on the par-5 seventh hole against one double bogey. He is now on 17 under par 196.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Should he win in Utah, he would become the 14th<\/sup> first-time winner this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defending champion Matt McCarty is in second spot in 15 under par and seeks to become the first player to successfully defend a title on TOUR since Scottie Scheffler (2024, 2025 Memorial Tournament).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second-year member Rico Hoey is tied third on 14-under together with Kevin Yu and Pierceson Coody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hayden Springer (T6\/-13) posted 6-under 29 on the back nine en route to a 62 for the low round of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eight-time DP World Tour winner Thorbj\u00f8rn Olesen is also tied sixth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Steven Alker carded a second consecutive bogey-free round to total 17-under 127, his lowest opening 36-hole score on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[58],"class_list":["post-5212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-golf"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t