Steven Alker held onto his one-stroke lead after the third round on Saturday at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship as the New Zealander is in position to win his third tour championship in four years.
Alker carded a 6-under-par 65 at Phoenix Country Club to match his nearest pursuer and get to 17 under. Stewart Cink, who trailed Alker by one shot after two rounds, is at 16 under after his 65 and also is challenging for the season-long Schwab Cup title.
“Yeah, to take the lead it’s great, but it’s going to be a shootout tomorrow,” Alker said. “It’s amazing it’s come down — the whole season, all the tournaments we play, all the rounds we play, it’s come down to one round. It’s pretty amazing.”
Alker’s bogey-free round featured birdies at Nos. 1, 6, 10, 12, 14 and 18.
The 54-year-old is seeking his 11th victory in 98 starts on the PGA Tour Champions and third in 23 starts in the 2025 season. He also won the Cologuard Classic in March and the Simmons Bank Championship on Oct. 24-26, meaning Alker is going for back-to-back victories.
Alker, who won the Schwab Cup title in 2022 and 2024, entered the week atop the season-long points standings and a win would clinch the title. Only Bernhard Langer, with six, has won the Charles Schwab Cup three or more times.
Alker won this tournament in 2023, finished second in 2021 and tied for second last year.
Cink began the day with an eagle on the par-5 first hole and saved strokes with birdies on Nos. 4 and 8 for 32 on the front nine. He negated a birdie on No. 10 with a bogey at the par-4 No. 12 before responding with birdies at Nos. 14 and 16.
He was third in the standings entering the week, and was asked after the third round if he viewed the final day like match play with Alker.
“Well, I actually wish it would because I love match play,” Cink said. “I think this would be an exciting scenario to have a match, but you can’t do that. If me and Alker both go out there and lay an egg out there, then someone else is going to come from behind, we know that.
“But it will be — I mean, we have a scenario, no secret, that the winner tomorrow, if it’s one of us, wins the Charles Schwab Cup. That’s my goal and I’m sure that’s his goal, too. He’s a little bit more experienced in this situation than I am, but I’ve also gained a lot of experience in my career. I know how to handle this stuff and I know that there’s a chance I could win it tomorrow. There’s a chance I could not win, but I’m ready for either one.”
Miguel Angel Jimenez, who entered the week No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, is tied for 13th in the tournament at 9 under after his 1-under 70 on Saturday.
Tommy Gainey (68 on Saturday) and Langer (65) are tied for third at 12 under.
