After a 68 in Friday’s first round, Darren Clarke failed to build momentum in Saturday’s second round as the now 58-year-old posted a one-under-par 71 to drop to T10, four strokes back from Steven Alker who leads.
Clarke has had some good fortune at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, finishing T3 at the Boeing Classic in 2025 thanks to an eight-under-par final round and he will need to do something similar again if he is to add to his lone win on the PGA TOUR Champions this year.
All of the action in Clarke’s round came on the front nine, where he made birdie at the second and eighth but succumbed to a bogey at the seventh before parring nine through 18 to take him to five-under for the week.
Fellow Northern Irishman Chris Devlin bettered his first round score of 74 with a 69 on Saturday to take him to one-under heading into the final round.
Devlin began on the back nine and started with a bogey at the 10th but quickly settled in with birdies at the 13th, 16th, and 18th. Two more at the first and second made for three birdies in-a-row but that streak was halted with a bogey at the fourth before going birdie-bogey at the eighth and ninth.
Devlin sits T28 and has a good chance to better his T17 finish at the U.S. Senior Open in July with a strong showing on Sunday.
Steven Alker posted a 68 to take a solo lead at nine-under, just pipping Vaughn Taylor who holds second at eight-under.
Alker has one win on the PGA TOUR Champions this season, coming at the Cologuard Classic in March. He defeated Padraig Harrington in a playoff, successfully defending the title he won in 2025. Alker will be thinking about more than just a win as he carries the loss of his wife’s mother heavy on his mind.
“My wife has lost her parents the last couple of years, and we just lost her mother, you know, a couple of weeks ago, so there’s a lot going on. When you’re dealing with death, it’s a little bit different just to be in the right place, you know, mentally. I’m starting to get there, and I’ve seen a few putts drop too, that always helps,” said the Kiwi.
Vaughn Taylor also posted a 68 and will be hoping for a big Sunday as he has been struggling with injuries this season.
“Kind of the tale of two days. Yesterday I swung it really well, made some putts obviously, but today just didn’t feel it with my swing. Body felt a little off, but the putter kept me in there. I made a few really good par saves… It wasn’t pretty, but I got it done,” said Taylor.
Søren Kjeldsen and Steve Flesch hold T3 at seven-under. Richard Green climbed 31 places on moving day as the Aussie posted an impressive seven-under-par 65 on Saturday.
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