THE MODERATOR: Steven Alker is with us now at the 2026 Senior PGA Championship. Steven, fresh off the golf course. What did you think?
STEVEN ALKER: It's in great shape. I mean, Concession always do a great job here. I played in the World Champions Cup in '23, and I love the golf course.
That back nine, we should know pretty well by now. We've been around it eight or nine times. But, yeah, it's in great shape. Greens running good.
I think obviously depends how they set up the golf course as to the scoring, where they put the tees and the conditions. But, yeah, it's in great shape.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.
Q. Steve, just kind of talk about your expectations going into this tournament. Is it set up for you, and what's your strategy going to be playing the course?
STEVEN ALKER: Yeah, I think so. We'll, we've always got high expectations for a major. Trying to put a little more focus on those this year. Not too much pressure, but just more focus on trying to peak at the right time. That's important.
But in terms of the golf course, I think for me -- you've got to be a good iron player around here. It's kind of one of my strengths. So if I can use that to my advantage, giving yourself some good looks on the greens, but there's a whole mix of shots out here. You've got wedges. You've got long irons. The par-5s are reachable. There's a nice mix of holes.
Yeah, I think it's a really important part of -- you obviously have to be in the fairway first, but to hit that approach shot and give yourself some opportunities is probably the most important thing, so...
Q. Steven, how much advantage, if at all, will it have for the guys that did play the World Champions Cup a couple of years ago here?
STEVEN ALKER: Yeah, I think a little bit. Obviously everybody is coming in, and they'll get to see the golf course, but I think just the little intricacies, the more side the greens have and around the greens, where to place your ball, and if you're going to miss it, where are you going to miss it? Small things like that I think it's a huge advantage to kind of know, you know, those little things.
But I think more so just being on property, how the golf course plays, and the winds. I think the winds are the big thing. We had a couple of different winds during the World Champions Cup. So the golf course can change pretty quickly. I think it's a big advantage for the guys who played that week for sure.
Q. Not many Kiwis in professional golf, but all of them in high places. We talked with Lydia. We talked with Ryan Fox. How does it feel and what kind of support do you get from back home?
STEVEN ALKER: Yeah, support is huge. That's a big thing. Obviously such a small country. We've got players all over the world. It's just having that support is great, especially for me. I've been the only one out here. I think we have another couple of Kiwis in the field this week.
Yeah, it's always great. You kind of feel like you're playing for something more than yourself sometimes, you know, so that's a nice feeling. The support has been great, yeah.
Q. I want to follow up on that. When we talk with Lydia, we talked with Foxy, there's a feeling that you all know each other, you all support each other, and it's the work also of the Golf New Zealand too. Can you talk a little bit about that and the new generation coming?
STEVEN ALKER: Yeah, yeah. Well, I think we're all inspired by what we're doing on the tours. We see Lydia playing well, and it gives us all a little boost. I see Foxy. He's been great. Slowed down a little bit the last few months, but what he's doing and where he's at, it's encouraging.
You can see that our young players. I was down in New Zealand only, what are we talking, four weeks ago now for New Zealand Open. I went down, and the talent -- New Zealand golf is in a good place. We've got some good, young players coming up. They're hungry. We've got some good players on the DP World Tour. Foxy would like a few more on the PGA TOUR, but I think New Zealand golf is in good hands.
Q. Steven, when you turned 50, not a lot of knew a lot about you. Just talk about what you've been able to accomplish the last four years, how it's changed being noticed, being recognized, respect from your peers. What's been these last four years like for you?
STEVEN ALKER: Yeah, I think, you know, the Champions Tour for me I just felt like a second chance. I haven't had much of a career. I've played everywhere. I've played PGA and Europe and some in Asia and Australasia and never really got the most out of my game. That's what I thought.
To have that second chance, you know, I just kind of felt like it gave me a little bit of freedom to play and show what I've still got. It felt like I was in pretty good shape, and my game was in good shape.
Yeah, I think that was just a nice time for me to keep playing, persevere, and get stuck in. You know, what I've done out here, maybe I've kind of felt like I've overachieved a little bit compared to what I've done in the past. I'm sitting here with, what is it, 11 wins and a major. That's pretty nice.
I would like some more. I'm still hungry. That's a nice place to be, still hungry and wanting to win golf championships.
Yeah, it's been a Godsend for me. So appreciative of where I'm at and where I'm playing right now.
Q. What's your sense of how the setup might be different this week compared to a couple of years ago?
STEVEN ALKER: Yeah, well, I mean, we've got a pretty good idea from the yardage book and what the PGA have given us in terms of yardages. They've kind of mixed it up a little bit. They've pushed some tees back and then some of the par-3s they've pushed us a little further forward.
The par-5s I think are very gettable. You know, they've pushed some tees forward there as well to have a go at it, but I think that's only because of, one, to maybe help speed up play a little bit and just for the scoring, to give us a chance at making possible eagles. That's good for golf too.
Yeah, there's a few differences. I think once they maybe push some tees up, they can have a couple of different pins, some tighter pins. You can play around with that a little bit more.
I think yardage-wise it's very similar to what we had at the champions cup a few years ago.
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