Emotional Steven Alker holds on to seal monster payday at Charles ...

Steven Alker has finished the season with a monster payday in Phoenix.

The Kiwi golfer won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup on Monday afternoon (NZT) to wrap up his PGA Tour Champions campaign with a combined $US1 million (NZ$1.7 million) payday.

Alker earned $528,000 for winning the tournament at the Phoenix Country club by one stroke, and another $500,000 for finishing second in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race.

A year after Alker won the overall race, American Steve Stricker long ago clinched the Schwab Cup with his six victories this year, three of them majors. He didn't play in Phoenix after his father was recently hospitalised in Wisconsin.

Alker had to keep his head and grind it out, after the four-stroke lead he took into the final round shrunk to just one before he’d even played five holes.

However, a series of crunch par saves down the stretch, including on the par 5 18th as Canadian Stephen Ames and South Africa Ernie Els, back in the clubhouse a shot back, watched on, ensured Alker triumphed.

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Kiwi Steven in action on the second hole during the final round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club on Monday (NZT).

Indeed, Alker, whose one-under 70 improved him to 18-under the card overall, sure made it difficult for himself, repeatedly leaving himself tricky putts to keep his nose in front.

That included on the par 3 15th, where Alker yanked his tee shot into the greenside bunker, before chipping out and keeping his cool with putter in hand.

Alker also over-cooked his approach on 18, the same hole Els shanked his approach into the drink, but chipped to within a few feet to set up one final crunch putt.

“I made it exciting here at 18, but that wasn’t the plan, I tell you,” Alker said.

“It’s another win, that’s the first thing. It’s huge...it’s hard to win out there, to get another one, I’ve been stuck on six [tour wins] for a while...it means a lot.”

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Kiwi Steven Alker lines up a putt on the first green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club.

Alker became emotional, too, his voice breaking as he reflected on the year, which started with his long-time caddie Sam Workman dying suddenly after a brief battle with cancer in February.

Troy Martin has replaced Workman, and earned praise from Alker after his latest win.

“Troy...after Sam passed, he’s been a stud. He’s been a stud. And I’m glad I got a flag for him today, that was huge.”

“You see the signs around and people talking. ‘Go Sam and go [Houston] Astros’. I heard a lot of that this week. He [Workman] was there somewhere.”

Alker recorded a dozen top-10 finishes, two wins and five runner-up finishes through 20 starts in 2023.