GOLF NOTES Cink and son
Stewart Cink is having as much fun as ever. He won the Safeway Open in September for his first title since he won the British Open at Turnberry in 2009. That brings him back to Kapalua for the first time in 11 years. More than that, however, is having son Reagan as his caddie. They were together when he won the Safeway Open, and his son will stay on the bag.
But that means more work, and a little more walking. “He’s never seen any of these courses,” Cink said. “He’s walked around a lot of them and he knows a lot about them, but he’s never seen them from a strategy and playability type of a standpoint. So my year is going to include more practice rounds than it did because of that.”
This is not a complaint. Cink wouldn’t trade the time with his son. But it became clear to him late last year at the RSM Classic, which uses two courses at Sea Island.
“It just really highlighted to me that I needed to plan for this stuff in advance, and so playing the tournaments that have more than one course this year are going to be really challenging,” he said, mentioning the AT&T Pebble Beach and its three courses as an example.
“I’ve done it my whole life, had to adjust to things playing the game of golf out here,” he said. “It’s well worth it for me to have Reagan caddying. He’s done a great job and it’s fun to have him and I’m relaxed. So if I have to add a few practice rounds, I’m not worried about that.”
Rahm changes
Jon Rahm starts his fifth full year on the PGA Tour with new equipment and apparel.
Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world behind Dustin Johnson, has signed with Callaway Golf, the biggest name to switch equipment during the short offseason. He said he shot a 59 at Silverleaf Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, in his first round using his new clubs. “I can’t wait to start the year,” Rahm said.
Rahm previously had an endorsement deal with Taylormade. He used Callaway and Odyssey equipment when he played at Arizona State, where he won 11 times for the second-highest total in school history behind Phil Mickelson. The Spaniard also is changing his clothing from adidas to Travismathew.