PGA TOUR Champions enters a 'Steve Zone' of 2022 dominance

The phrase “even Steven” appears to have sprung from the writings of 18th century Anglo-Irish satirist and poet Jonathan Swift.

It means essentially that all things are equal between two parties.

So it’s a phrase one won’t hear on PGA TOUR Champions this season. Because all is not equal with Steven, Stephen or Steve.

Even Steven? Under Par Steven would be more appropriate.

Players named Steven, Stephen or Steve have won five of the 10 events played so far in 2022, including the past four. That’s three for Steven Alker and one each for Steve Stricker and Steve Flesch.

And lest one think they’re the only players making a name for themselves, don’t forget Stephen Ames. He’s fourth in the Schwab Cup standings, the highest for any player without a victory this season. And it was Ames who battled Alker before faltering on Sunday in the final round of the Senior PGA Championship. Still, he was runner-up -- his fifth top-10 this season.

There’s even a battle between Stephens in the middle of the Schwab Cup standings right now. At No. 72, which is the last player who would make the Schwab Cup playoffs if they started now, is Stephen Leaney. The player at No. 73, just $2,048 behind, is Stephen Dodd.

So it’s possible six Steves could make the playoffs, more than any other first name. Davids would have to play well to get five; Scotts have a solid four.

“There are that many Steves?” Flesch repeated incredulously. “I didn’t realize that. Is that a generational thing?

“When I grew up, there were lots of Stephens. I went to Catholic school, and there were a lot of guys named after St. Stephen. I don’t think it’s that popular anymore. Everyone is a Peyton or a Parker, all the fancy stuff.”

Alker is the Steven on the minds of everyone. The New Zealand native has been on a run perhaps as good as any in the history of PGA TOUR Champions. Virtually unheard of when he turned 50 in July, he Monday qualified for the Boeing Classic, posted a T7 that got him a guaranteed spot in the Ally Challenge, finished solo third that got him a guaranteed spot in the Ascension Charity Classic, and so on. Before he was done, he had put up six consecutive top-10s and qualified for the Schwab Cup Playoffs.

Then he went into overdrive. He was T4 at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, won the TimberTech Championship, and was runner-up at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

As if that weren’t impressive enough, he has started 2022 even hotter, with three wins and three other top-five finishes. Alker leads the Schwab Cup standings by a wide margin.

“What he’s doing … goodness gracious,” Flesch said. “People would crucify you for throwing the Tiger parallel around, but when has anybody else been on a run like this?”

Now Alker has put a major with his other three victories. Nineteen starts across his first two seasons, with four wins and a career-worst finish of T20.

“I don’t know if it’s the golden age of Steves, but it sure is the golden age of Steven Alker,” said Woody Austin, a four-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions who’s currently 20th in the Schwab Cup standings. “I don’t know what potion he’s on or what have you, but he hasn’t played one bad round in eight months. He might have nine holes where he shoots even, but then he shoots 3, 4, 5 under on the other nine.”

Stricker, 55, also won a major this year, a runaway victory at the Regions Tradition.

“Stricker just doesn’t make mistakes,” Flesch said. “Around that course in Birmingham (Greystone G&CC), he played so well. That’s a course, to me, I can make bogeys and doubles left and right. There are all kind of holes there where you can end up in a funny place.

“I think he had two rounds (of four) where he didn’t have a bogey. Going around there without a bogey. … He’s straight and in control of his ball. And then of course he makes every putt he looks at, which is kind of annoying.”

Ames, 58, might be playing the best golf of his PGA TOUR Champions career through nine starts this year. In addition to his runner-up finish at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, he has a pair of T3s.

“I think he’s the most unheralded of all the Steves,” Flesch said. “He won a PLAYERS Championship dominantly. You have to be able to strike your ball to do that.

“I think he’s just putting better. He’s always been a great ball striker. He’s have fun playing again. When you’re having fun and playing well, the game gets a lot easier.”

Flesch, 55, picked up the second victory of his PGA TOUR Champions career at the same place as his first -- the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. The first came in 2018. Flesch has played in eight events this year and is 17th in the Schwab Cup standings.

PGA TOUR Champions resumes play this week at the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, where Ames is the defending champ.