Alker breathes a sigh of relief
IN: News | Nationwide | Hibernia Southern Open (2002) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 21 Oct 2002
New Zealander Steve Alker placed precariously in fifteenth position on the money list leading into this week needed something special to happen, either in Louisiana or at the Tour Championship next week in Alabama, if he was to be playing the USPGA Tour next year.
All year the thought of a USPGA Tour card had been tantalisingly close. From his win early in the season in Louisiana he has held a prominent position inside the top fifteen, but his form through much of August and September had been very ordinary to the point that what seemed automatic three months ago was beginning to appear in jeopardy.
He righted the ship over the last few weeks with an improvement in form with two top twenties and now this second place which has taken his earnings to just a tick over $US200,000 and surely now safety.
It is just reward for a neat and tidy player who went so close at the USPGA Tour School last year to gaining his card. He missed by two there and now that he has been rewarded for overall consistency this year, it may well be that same consistency will see him grinding out a very good living on the main tour next year.
Aaron Baddeley continued his recent good form and eliminated the remotest possibility of being gazumped next week for his card next year with a fourth placing here.
Someone who is now starting to feel the pinch is Gavin Coles who by missing the cut here will slip to at best thirteenth (Alker goes past him) and with just the Tour Championship to go a lot is at stake this coming week.
Bradley Hughes and Mark Hensby finished 48th here and with that appears to go any chance that Hensby had of making the top fifteen and Anthony Painter like Coles missed the cut and will have to produce an extraordinary result next week.
Final Round - Australasian Scores
T2 -16 Steven Alker (65-69-66)
T4 -14 Aaron Baddeley (71-65-66)
T48 -6 Bradley Hughes (70-68-72)
T48 -6 Mark Hensby (69-70-71)
72 Even Zoran Zorkic (69-72-75)
*** Missed Cut ***
Nathan Green (72-70)
Gavin Coles (69-73)
Anthony Painter (71-71)
