November 13, 2024 • 11 mins
Golfer Steve Alker wants to keep playing professionally until he's 60, after winning a second season-long crown on the PGA Champions Tour.
The 53-year-old's joined the likes of greats Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer in claiming the overall title more than once.
He's mulled over what to consider before putting the clubs away.
He told Mike Hosking that staying fit is the biggest thing, and from there it’s about the drive.
“If I'm just finishing 40th or 50th in the field, and not having a chance then it's probably time to hang up the boots, you know?”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Steve Elka living the dream. Turning to the Masters Tour
has changed his life. Basically, he's been able to do
what he couldn't do as a prior to a younger age.
He finished top of the PGA Champions Tour for a
second year in a row Final tournament earlier on this
week in Phoenix, he finished second to Bernard Langer. He's
one of only seven players who have ever won the
overall title more than once. He's currently in Mexico for
(00:20):
a three day program and he's with as Steve Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Mike, thanks for having me on, not at all.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And warmers, congratulations on the season and all that sort
of stuff. Does life feel good?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, it does? It does. I mean.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
You know that obviously the Schwrob Cup it's a nice
bonus at the end of the year to finish like that.
Although I didn't win the golf tournament that that old
guy beat at all, it feels it feels good to
have another shrub Cup knowing that you know, you've had
the consistency.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You've played well for a whole year, So yeah, it's
feeling feeling good.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
What is it about your consistency? How do I've looked
through your season and where you can't, you're you're remarkably
good at being right at the you know, at the
top of the end of the weekend. How do you
explain that?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
It's just a number of things.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Obviously, you know, feeling feeling comfortable in the environment, and
you know, when you have so many chances to win,
or you're in the top ten and you're kind of
there or thereabouts, you know, it kind of it kind
of wears on you. It gets it gets you know,
week and week out, you're you're you're right there. So
you've got to kind of manage that a little bit.
That those are two big things. But you know, just
(01:31):
just the fitness, staying staying fit. You know, I'm getting
older and just trying to stay on top of that
and and just keep the game in good shape.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Just keep doing the things that work for me. There's simple.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
There's any you know, two or three things maybe that
consistently working on that keep my game in good shape.
So as long as you look after those are all good.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I'm glad you raised that because I watch you a bit.
You look, you're fifty three Langer as an example of
sixty seven. You've got a real well, you've got a
real look and a flexibility about you, like you work
on it and you're in good shape. How does age
fit into this? Because are you looking to be as
good as you are now at sixty seven? I mean
(02:12):
there must be chat on the chat, you know, there
must be chat on the circuit about jeez, Burnard, you're
a bit old whatever?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, yeah, Well, I mean if I get to sixty,
I'll be happy, you know what I mean? But I mean,
he really is phenomenal, and I think it's just what
gets me about Bernard Langer is just his.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
His drive to keep playing. And you know he still
thinks he can win.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's sixty seven and which he's doing, so you know,
to have that mentality and the drive to keep doing
this day and day out, it really is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So you know how long I can play? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
It just staying fit is the biggest thing. And then
you know from there the drive is it? How long
is it going to be there? And I think, you know,
if I'm just finishing forty to fifteenth the field and
not having a chance, and it's probably time to hang
up the boots.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
You know, how competitive is it? I mean so so
Bernard wants to win. You want to win, but I mean,
do you want to win it all costs? Or of all?
You guys done enough in life. So there you've taken
it down a notch and we're actually there to have
a bit of a good time as well.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's it's still very competitive. I mean, you know, it's
a different vibe out here. But when you get on
the golf course and you get in the heat and
it gets it gets pretty serious.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It really does.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Now guys want to win, and there's new guys, younger guys,
and I say young at the fifty year old's coming
out from the main tour or wherever.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So you know, the competition is just going to get.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Better and healthier and stronger. So you got to you
got to stay on top of it, and you know,
stay stay competitive, stay fit.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
How hard do you look?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That's my goal anyway, of course, how hard do you
work on that side? What do you do? I mean
you look like a guy who does pilates or yoga.
You look flexible, like strong and flexible.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, just like a whole combination. I mean, you know,
I changed my fitness program all the time, every six
eight weeks I'm I'm changing it up. I'm kind of
assessing where I'm at, what the body is doing, and
then work around that.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So that part of it's changed a lot compared to
how it was.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But no, I'm not a big pilarates guy or yoga
and I just I just, you know, as long as
I'm moving well, so you know, mobility, stability, and then
the strength factor which is more off season.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Those are the three things that you just kind of
keep working on.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
What about club head speed? Does that do you notice
a change with age and time and all that sort
of stuff or not?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah, it catches up with you. I mean I think
Padrick Harrington is is exception to the rule. You know,
there's two or three guys. VJ has always been, you know,
a fast ring of a club and Retief goosen and
sure as things and new guys come out, there's four
or five guys who have got that natural speed that
they've always had.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I mean, eventually going to lose it.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But Padring consistently works at it and it's got to be.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Tough on the body.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
I mean, I'm not a big guy, so I don't
focus so much on the speed aspect. I focus more
on the efficiency, shall we say, just to get the
job done and you know, working on the wedges and
keeping them putting in shape. And but my own play
and my efficiency and my game is kind of where
where what I focus on?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
You, all right? With all the success of yours, do
they view you differently now? In other words, you're now
a winner, so you're a guy to be feed. Do
they view that differently?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Oh? Maybe a little bit?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And and I hope so, Mike, you know, to have
a little bit of fair factor, and there is always
good but I don't I don't seemale Sipe as a
as a scary guy and someone who's going to like,
you know, beat your brains out every week. But I
think just you know, knowing that I'm there every week,
(05:59):
I give us holf a chance from the top ten
or top five or pushing pushing for a you know,
win in a golf tournament. Then people see that every week,
and you know, if you're getting a chance and a
chance to win, and they say your name, what's you know?
Hopefully it kind of does a little bit of that.
But I don't think too much about that. I'm just
trying to do my thing and you know, try and
(06:21):
try and get a w at the.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
End of the week.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
How do you I don't know if you heard, but
Greg Turner was interviewed about you, and in typical Greg
Turner style, he said, basically, what you've done is taken
an average career, and I thought that was a bit harsh,
an average career, and turned it into something quite special.
Do you see it that way or how do you
see it?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah? Well, actually Turns has been kind of generous.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Actually, I don't even know if it's an average career,
to be honest. You know, I didn't reach that level
that some players did in museum, like a Frank Noble
or or a Greek Turner or a Phil Tannery. I
never quite reached that level. So yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
For me.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
It's been a second chance that the champions to That's
that's how I look at it. And you know, those
don't come wrong very often, so I feel very thankful
for that, and and just trying to make the most
of that second opportunity and and and just enjoy it
at the same time, you.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Know, and and can you as enjoyment and easier thing
to achieve when you're not young and going, God, I've
got a win to pay the bills.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah, yeah, well, you know, I was an interview yesterday
and someone asked, you know, what's what's the difference, you know,
or if you're younger, to go back and ask, you
know what, what what would you do differently? And you know,
I used to beat myself up a little bit, you
know what I mean, just just trying.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
To work on the game and get better.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And and I just think, you know, I don't do
that as much now, So that's that's that's one big
thing that that helps. You know, you're just just trying
so hard to get better and support your family and things.
And you know, I sometimes just tried to hard and
beat myself up, and I just don't tend to do
(08:07):
that so much anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
You know, I think I'm matured. It's fifty you know.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Well, that's what happens without being too crass about it.
The money must play effector mustn't it. At the end
of the day, Once you don't need to play for money,
surely the shoulders swing a little more freely.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
But even saying that, like, you know, when I come
out on the Champions Tour, you know, I really didn't
have anything.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
You know, it was just for me.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
It was kind of go for broke, nothing to lose
kind of attitude. And I didn't know how many years
I've got left, you know, I could have I could
have an injury, or I might not make it on
the champions So that kind of freed me up to
play for sure. But the money is still you know,
it's amazing. I could put my kids through college and
(08:56):
university and do all those things now that I possibly
couldn't have.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
So yeah, that certainly helps.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But when we're out there playing, we're you know, as
I said, I'm just trying to get a W and
the bone, and the money's just just a bonus.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Good the schedule and looking at is that about right
for you? Number of tournaments, the amount of time you play,
the amount of time you have off.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Now the last couple of years I've kind of played,
I think twenty one twenty two, that's been a good number.
You know, maybe in a few years of scale back
a little bit, you know, I look at the schedule,
I go, well, you know, I'll take that off, and
I'll take this off and try and have a good
break somewhere.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They're in the middle and I'm still playing twenty.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Two events, so it's still quite a few and I'd
like to scale that back maybe the next few years.
But I think it's a good number as as long
as I'm getting breaks during the.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Year and a couple of weeks here and there. That
already helps you live.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
They tell me in Arizona. I've been fascinated with Arizona.
Is it good for the bones? I mean, it's a
nice dry heat, isn't it as if you couldn't live
anywhere in the world? Presumably, is it the place to live?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I mean for weather obviously year round. I mean it
gets very very hot out here in the desert during
during those summer months. But you know, we've got the
golf courses, we've got the weather, especially this time of year.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It's its idea. We can just it's like groundhole day.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
We can go out and practice whenever we want, and
it's beautiful. But yeah, we like it here. My wife
is English. We still try to get back there a
couple of times a year, and our kids are all
over the place now, so yeah, it's a nice place
to live. We're trying to, you know, balance it all,
(10:40):
but yeah, It's been good to us here.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Fantastic. We'll always good to catch up with you. Go well,
have a good Christmas and all of that. And when
you win the shwap next year, we'll get you back
on and you know, just repeat the exercise.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Sounds like a plan.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Fantastic. Good go well. Matt and Steve Elka with us
this morning. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
News Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Steve Elka living the dream. Turning to the Masters Tour
has changed his life. Basically, he's been able to do
what he couldn't do as a prior to a younger age.
He finished top of the PGA Champions Tour for a
second year in a row Final tournament earlier on this
week in Phoenix, he finished second to Bernard Langer. He's
one of only seven players who have ever won the
overall title more than once. He's currently in Mexico for
(00:20):
a three day program and he's with as Steve Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Mike, thanks for having me on, not at all.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And warmers, congratulations on the season and all that sort
of stuff. Does life feel good?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, it does? It does. I mean.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
You know that obviously the Schwrob Cup it's a nice
bonus at the end of the year to finish like that.
Although I didn't win the golf tournament that that old
guy beat at all, it feels it feels good to
have another shrub Cup knowing that you know, you've had
the consistency.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You've played well for a whole year, So yeah, it's
feeling feeling good.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
What is it about your consistency? How do I've looked
through your season and where you can't, you're you're remarkably
good at being right at the you know, at the
top of the end of the weekend. How do you
explain that?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
It's just a number of things.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Obviously, you know, feeling feeling comfortable in the environment, and
you know, when you have so many chances to win,
or you're in the top ten and you're kind of
there or thereabouts, you know, it kind of it kind
of wears on you. It gets it gets you know,
week and week out, you're you're you're right there. So
you've got to kind of manage that a little bit.
That those are two big things. But you know, just
(01:31):
just the fitness, staying staying fit. You know, I'm getting
older and just trying to stay on top of that
and and just keep the game in good shape.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Just keep doing the things that work for me. There's simple.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
There's any you know, two or three things maybe that
consistently working on that keep my game in good shape.
So as long as you look after those are all good.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I'm glad you raised that because I watch you a bit.
You look, you're fifty three Langer as an example of
sixty seven. You've got a real well, you've got a
real look and a flexibility about you, like you work
on it and you're in good shape. How does age
fit into this? Because are you looking to be as
good as you are now at sixty seven? I mean
(02:12):
there must be chat on the chat, you know, there
must be chat on the circuit about jeez, Burnard, you're
a bit old whatever?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, yeah, Well, I mean if I get to sixty,
I'll be happy, you know what I mean? But I mean,
he really is phenomenal, and I think it's just what
gets me about Bernard Langer is just his.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
His drive to keep playing. And you know he still
thinks he can win.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's sixty seven and which he's doing, so you know,
to have that mentality and the drive to keep doing
this day and day out, it really is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So you know how long I can play? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
It just staying fit is the biggest thing. And then
you know from there the drive is it? How long
is it going to be there? And I think, you know,
if I'm just finishing forty to fifteenth the field and
not having a chance, and it's probably time to hang
up the boots.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
You know, how competitive is it? I mean so so
Bernard wants to win. You want to win, but I mean,
do you want to win it all costs? Or of all?
You guys done enough in life. So there you've taken
it down a notch and we're actually there to have
a bit of a good time as well.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's it's still very competitive. I mean, you know, it's
a different vibe out here. But when you get on
the golf course and you get in the heat and
it gets it gets pretty serious.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It really does.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Now guys want to win, and there's new guys, younger guys,
and I say young at the fifty year old's coming
out from the main tour or wherever.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So you know, the competition is just going to get.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Better and healthier and stronger. So you got to you
got to stay on top of it, and you know,
stay stay competitive, stay fit.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
How hard do you look?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That's my goal anyway, of course, how hard do you
work on that side? What do you do? I mean
you look like a guy who does pilates or yoga.
You look flexible, like strong and flexible.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, just like a whole combination. I mean, you know,
I changed my fitness program all the time, every six
eight weeks I'm I'm changing it up. I'm kind of
assessing where I'm at, what the body is doing, and
then work around that.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So that part of it's changed a lot compared to
how it was.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But no, I'm not a big pilarates guy or yoga
and I just I just, you know, as long as
I'm moving well, so you know, mobility, stability, and then
the strength factor which is more off season.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Those are the three things that you just kind of
keep working on.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
What about club head speed? Does that do you notice
a change with age and time and all that sort
of stuff or not?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah, it catches up with you. I mean I think
Padrick Harrington is is exception to the rule. You know,
there's two or three guys. VJ has always been, you know,
a fast ring of a club and Retief goosen and
sure as things and new guys come out, there's four
or five guys who have got that natural speed that
they've always had.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I mean, eventually going to lose it.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But Padring consistently works at it and it's got to be.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Tough on the body.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
I mean, I'm not a big guy, so I don't
focus so much on the speed aspect. I focus more
on the efficiency, shall we say, just to get the
job done and you know, working on the wedges and
keeping them putting in shape. And but my own play
and my efficiency and my game is kind of where
where what I focus on?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
You, all right? With all the success of yours, do
they view you differently now? In other words, you're now
a winner, so you're a guy to be feed. Do
they view that differently?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Oh? Maybe a little bit?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And and I hope so, Mike, you know, to have
a little bit of fair factor, and there is always
good but I don't I don't seemale Sipe as a
as a scary guy and someone who's going to like,
you know, beat your brains out every week. But I
think just you know, knowing that I'm there every week,
(05:59):
I give us holf a chance from the top ten
or top five or pushing pushing for a you know,
win in a golf tournament. Then people see that every week,
and you know, if you're getting a chance and a
chance to win, and they say your name, what's you know?
Hopefully it kind of does a little bit of that.
But I don't think too much about that. I'm just
trying to do my thing and you know, try and
(06:21):
try and get a w at the.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
End of the week.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
How do you I don't know if you heard, but
Greg Turner was interviewed about you, and in typical Greg
Turner style, he said, basically, what you've done is taken
an average career, and I thought that was a bit harsh,
an average career, and turned it into something quite special.
Do you see it that way or how do you
see it?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah? Well, actually Turns has been kind of generous.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Actually, I don't even know if it's an average career,
to be honest. You know, I didn't reach that level
that some players did in museum, like a Frank Noble
or or a Greek Turner or a Phil Tannery. I
never quite reached that level. So yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
For me.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
It's been a second chance that the champions to That's
that's how I look at it. And you know, those
don't come wrong very often, so I feel very thankful
for that, and and just trying to make the most
of that second opportunity and and and just enjoy it
at the same time, you.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Know, and and can you as enjoyment and easier thing
to achieve when you're not young and going, God, I've
got a win to pay the bills.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah, yeah, well, you know, I was an interview yesterday
and someone asked, you know, what's what's the difference, you know,
or if you're younger, to go back and ask, you
know what, what what would you do differently? And you know,
I used to beat myself up a little bit, you
know what I mean, just just trying.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
To work on the game and get better.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And and I just think, you know, I don't do
that as much now, So that's that's that's one big
thing that that helps. You know, you're just just trying
so hard to get better and support your family and things.
And you know, I sometimes just tried to hard and
beat myself up, and I just don't tend to do
(08:07):
that so much anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
You know, I think I'm matured. It's fifty you know.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Well, that's what happens without being too crass about it.
The money must play effector mustn't it. At the end
of the day, Once you don't need to play for money,
surely the shoulders swing a little more freely.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
But even saying that, like, you know, when I come
out on the Champions Tour, you know, I really didn't
have anything.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
You know, it was just for me.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
It was kind of go for broke, nothing to lose
kind of attitude. And I didn't know how many years
I've got left, you know, I could have I could
have an injury, or I might not make it on
the champions So that kind of freed me up to
play for sure. But the money is still you know,
it's amazing. I could put my kids through college and
(08:56):
university and do all those things now that I possibly
couldn't have.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
So yeah, that certainly helps.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But when we're out there playing, we're you know, as
I said, I'm just trying to get a W and
the bone, and the money's just just a bonus.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Good the schedule and looking at is that about right
for you? Number of tournaments, the amount of time you play,
the amount of time you have off.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Now the last couple of years I've kind of played,
I think twenty one twenty two, that's been a good number.
You know, maybe in a few years of scale back
a little bit, you know, I look at the schedule,
I go, well, you know, I'll take that off, and
I'll take this off and try and have a good
break somewhere.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They're in the middle and I'm still playing twenty.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Two events, so it's still quite a few and I'd
like to scale that back maybe the next few years.
But I think it's a good number as as long
as I'm getting breaks during the.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Year and a couple of weeks here and there. That
already helps you live.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
They tell me in Arizona. I've been fascinated with Arizona.
Is it good for the bones? I mean, it's a
nice dry heat, isn't it as if you couldn't live
anywhere in the world? Presumably, is it the place to live?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I mean for weather obviously year round. I mean it
gets very very hot out here in the desert during
during those summer months. But you know, we've got the
golf courses, we've got the weather, especially this time of year.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It's its idea. We can just it's like groundhole day.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
We can go out and practice whenever we want, and
it's beautiful. But yeah, we like it here. My wife
is English. We still try to get back there a
couple of times a year, and our kids are all
over the place now, so yeah, it's a nice place
to live. We're trying to, you know, balance it all,
(10:40):
but yeah, It's been good to us here.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Fantastic. We'll always good to catch up with you. Go well,
have a good Christmas and all of that. And when
you win the shwap next year, we'll get you back
on and you know, just repeat the exercise.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Sounds like a plan.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Fantastic. Good go well. Matt and Steve Elka with us
this morning. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
News Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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