2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic news, field updates, highlights, and leaderboard movement from Lehigh Country Club.
Allentown, Pennsylvania — Lehigh Country Club
Explore the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic launch, Lehigh Country Club, the inaugural championship, and the event's place on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule.
View HistoryFollow the inaugural 2026 event preview, field developments, tournament-week storylines, and highlights as PGA TOUR Champions comes to the Lehigh Valley.
Event PreviewReview Lehigh Country Club's William S. Flynn routing, rolling terrain, elevation changes, strategic green sites, and approach-shot demands.
Lehigh Country Club GuideCompetition Dates: October 2-4, 2026
Tournament Week: September 28-October 4, 2026
Venue: Lehigh Country Club, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Format: 54-hole PGA TOUR Champions stroke play
Purse: $2.3 million
Tour: PGA TOUR Champions
Field: 78 players
Event Status: Inaugural championship
The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo makes its PGA TOUR Champions debut at Lehigh Country Club in 2026. The 78-player event brings three days of competition to a historic William S. Flynn course while supporting charitable organizations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, Greater Philadelphia, and the Lehigh Valley.
Final Round Complete — October 4, 2026: Stephen Alker closed with a 4-under 66 to win the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo at 14 under, finishing one stroke ahead of Tag Ridings at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
CaddyBytes 🏆 Final-Round Recap: Alker began Sunday one stroke behind 36-hole leader Michael Block and steadily worked his way to the top on Lehigh Country Club's rolling William S. Flynn layout. Precise iron play and disciplined decisions kept him in position before his late birdies at the 16th and 17th holes gave him control of the championship.
Block continued to battle and answered with birdies at 16 and 17, but his final-round 69 left him two strokes behind Alker at 12 under. His third-place finish completed a memorable week that included a second-round 63 and a place in the final-round title chase.
Tag Ridings made the strongest closing charge on the final leaderboard. His 6-under 64 lifted him to 13 under and solo second, one shot short of forcing a playoff. Alker's 66 completed rounds of 65-65-66 for a winning total of 196.
Stewart Cink produced the lowest round among the leading finishers, a closing 63 that moved him into a tie for fourth at 11 under with Richard Green and Robert Karlsson. Y.E. Yang finished seventh at nine under, while Stuart Appleby, Ricardo González, and Mark Hensby shared eighth at eight under.
The victory continued Alker's exceptional run: it was his third win in four starts, his fourth victory of the season, and the 14th PGA TOUR Champions title of his career. He also becomes the first champion in the history of the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic.
| Position | Player | Country | To Par | Round 1 | Round 2 | Final Round | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Alker | New Zealand | -14 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 196 |
| 2 | Tag Ridings | United States | -13 | 68 | 65 | 64 | 197 |
| 3 | Michael Block | United States | -12 | 66 | 63 | 69 | 198 |
| T4 | Stewart Cink | United States | -11 | 69 | 67 | 63 | 199 |
| T4 | Richard Green | Australia | -11 | 64 | 67 | 68 | 199 |
| T4 | Robert Karlsson | Sweden | -11 | 64 | 69 | 66 | 199 |
| 7 | Y.E. Yang | South Korea | -9 | 64 | 69 | 68 | 201 |
| T8 | Stuart Appleby | Australia | -8 | 69 | 69 | 64 | 202 |
| T8 | Ricardo González | Argentina | -8 | 66 | 68 | 68 | 202 |
| T8 | Mark Hensby | Australia | -8 | 70 | 65 | 67 | 202 |
Championship takeaway: Alker's closing 66 and late birdies carried him past the final-round challenges from Ridings and Block. His 14-under total made him the inaugural champion by a single stroke.
Final-round highlights from Stephen Alker's victory at the inaugural 2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo.