UNSTOPPABLE CINK SETS HERITAGE RECORD
Two-time champion Stewart Cink moved into position for a third RBC Heritage title, shooting a second straight 63 to set the 36-hole scoring mark at Harbour Town in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Cink, 47, appears unstoppable after two amazing days. He sits at 16-under 126, five shots ahead of Corey Conners. The previous best midway score was 129, set by Jack Nicklaus en route to victory in 1975 and matched by Phil Mickelson, who wound up third in 2002.
Conners shot 64 and was 11 under. Emiliano Grillo (64) was another shot behind.
Fourth-ranked Collin Morikawa, preparing to defend his PGA Championship title next month, was tied for fourth at 9-under with Sung jae Im (65), Billy Horschel (67) and Cameron Smith, who followed his opening-round 62 with a 71.
Cink was hardly overwhelmed by the scores he posted, chalking them up to smart preparation and strong execution alongside his 24-yearold son, Reagan, who’s caddying for him.
“It doesn’t feel all that special, to be honest with you,” Cink said. “We just kind of worked our game plan.”
It was certainly unexpected. Cink hasn’t finished in the top 20 at Harbour Town in a decade, hadn’t led halfway since the Travelers Championship in 2008 and is closer to the PGA Tour Champions than his prime.
Yet Cink has had a renaissance on golf ’s biggest stage this season. He won for the first time in 11 years at the Safeway Open in September and has added five top-20 finishes including a tie for 12th last week at the Masters.
Cink was down three shots to Conners when he teed off Friday.
No matter. Cink quickly erased the deficit with an eagle on the par-5 second and a birdie on No. 3. Cink moved in front
with a birdie on the sixth and steadily built his margin the rest of the way, adding birdies on the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes.
The veteran is two solid rounds away from adding a third plaid jacket to the two he earned in 2000 and 2004. In both of those wins, Cink came from behind on Sunday. This time he’ll need to just maintain his strong overall play.
Since Reagan became his caddie, father and son have been collaborating on strategy before tournaments.
“We call it bludgeoning and we’re just bludgeoning that plan almost to death,” the elder Cink said with a grin. “When you manage yourself around a course like that and execute, the golf courses yield.”
Conners entered the week with Masters momentum, having tied for eighth at Augusta National for his second top-10
finish there in five months. He birdied seven of his final 13 holes.
“Giving myself lots of chances and was really nice to see some go in,” Conners said. “Hopefully, can keep that up going into the weekend.”
Morikawa had chances, too, He had seven birdie opportunities from 20 feet or less on his final nine holes, but the only one that dropped was an 18-footer on No. 6.
Elsewhere
Lydia Ko again put herself in position for her first win in three years, shooting a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Lotte Championship at Kapolei, Hawaii. Nelly Korda, who went back and forth with Ko for the lead throughout the third round, finished with a 63 and was one shot back. Ko pushed ahead one last time by rolling in the last of her seven
birdies on the par-4 18th.
• Fred Couples put in more work than usual to get ready for the Masters, only to have his worst performance in 36 appearances.
Back on the PGA Tour Champions, he was more at ease and close to flawless. Couples didn’t miss a fairway, setting up wedges or short irons into most of the holes, and he had a 9under 63 to build a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Chubb Classic in Naples, Fla. Bernhard Langer, also at Augusta National last week, shot a 65. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker was among those another shot behind.
• Alejandro Canizares overcame a slow start to card a 2under 70 and keep his one-stroke lead after the second round of the European Tour’s Austrian Open in the cold conditions at Atzenbrugg, Austria.