Alker Claims 14th Champions Title After 19-Year-Old Emergency Caddie Steps In

Steven Alker's path to his 14th PGA Tour Champions victory took an unexpected detour on Friday, when his regular caddie, Troy Martin, fell ill on the ninth tee at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Martin had to take himself out of the game at the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a new event on the Champions circuit. Stepping forward was 19-year-old local Whyatt O'Rourke, who had been working for Scott Parel and serving as a first alternate, and who had happened to meet Alker on Thursday. "I was pretty concerned about Troy," Alker said afterward. "He just stopped, literally just started walking and then stopped and went down. He got checked out, he's doing OK, that's good news." The teenager stayed on the bag through the weekend, and the pairing clicked immediately. Alker closed his opening round of 5-under 65 with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, and went on to secure the title — his fourth victory of 2026. Afterward, Alker and his wife made sure O'Rourke joined them for the celebratory trophy photos. "Whyatt, he's a local guy here, he's only 19. He's done a great job," Alker said. "It's a pretty cool story. A local boy, young kid. He did a great job, too."