Steven Alker kicks off the 2024 Golf season with Mitsubishi Electric Championship victory

Modified Jan 21, 2024 10:36 GMT

Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai - Final Round — Steven Alker reacts after winning the Mitsubishi Electric Championship

Steven Alker had a flying start this year as he won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, the PGA Tour Champions season opener, beating Harrison Frazar by four strokes.

Alker carded 9-under 63 on Saturday, January 20, to aggregate at 25-under after three rounds at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. He sank seven brides and an eagle in his second straight bogey-free round. He bagged $340,000 for his eighth win on the Senior Tour.

Alker was quoted as saying via the PGA Tour:

"Obviously I got a little bit lucky (referring to the par-5 seventh hole). Someone said it came off the lava rocks, or something happened up there. I didn’t see it. I hit a scrappy 4-iron and it ended up nice, and I made the putt.

"That was a big swing there. And I hit a beautiful shot into 8 (a 204-yard par 3, where Alker hit it to 6 feet) and made that one. I felt good after that. I hit some good tee shots from then on, and got into more of a groove."

Frazar, who was two strokes behind him after two rounds, had to settle for a runner-up after his 65. Stricker, the defending champion at Hualalai, finished solo third after shooting 66 on Saturday. The Charles Schwab Cup 2023 winner aggregated at 20-under after three rounds at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

Alker said, as per the PGA Tour:

"I would have needed something pretty special to catch Steve today, he played great. He played great, and the one shot that he missed, hit off a cart path, hit in the rocks and to make an eagle, that's a three-shot swing right there. Then he just capitalized on it, right? ... You get a bounce like that, and capitalize like that, it's kind of your day."