Westwood makes cuts, but no progress in majors
It’s not quite a badge of honor, though it beats the alternative. Lee Westwood was among 13 players who made the cut in all four majors this year, and he has the longest active streak of cuts made among those who have played them all.
Westwood last missed the cut in 2014 at the British Open, making it 13 in a row that he has played the weekend.
That’s the good news. “I’m playing steady, but not well enough,” Westwood said.
His best finish was a tie for 18th in the Masters. Westwood tied for 55th in the U.S. Open, tied for 27th in the British Open and tied for 67th at the PGA Championship. He has only one top 10 in the majors since he last missed the cut, a runner-up at the Masters to Danny Willett last year.
“You don’t want to be missing cuts. You’d rather be making cuts,” Westwood said. “But obviously, I want to contend. Nobody wants to be out early on Sunday.”
Jordan Spieth joins Westwood as the only players to make the cut in all four majors over the last three years.
The others to make the cut in every major this year were Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Steve Stricker, Charley Hoffman, Marc Leishman and J.B. Holmes.
Payne Stewart Award
Stewart Cink has won an award that is gaining massive momentum as one of the biggest honors on the PGA Tour. He will accept the Payne Stewart Award during the Tour Championship next month.
The award began as a tribute to Stewart, the threetime major champion who died in a plane crash on his way to the Tour Championship in 1999. It recognizes the values of character, charity and sportsmanship, and recent winners have said the ceremony was one of the best nights of their careers.
“To receive the Payne Stewart Award is one of the greatest honors of my career,” Cink said. “Payne Stewart was a player and person whom I admired greatly, both on and off the course. His character, his infectious spirit and his dedication to growing the game were all traits that I have always aspired to emulate.”
Cink has six victories in 21 years on the PGA Tour, including the British Open in 2009 in a playoff over Tom Watson at Turnberry. That was Cink at his best, not only his performance, but the graciousness in winning over such a popular and sentimental figure as the 59-year-old Watson.
“In every sense of the words, he showed character and sportsmanship,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said.
Cink has two sons in college and for the last two years has been devoting himself to his wife, Lisa, during her battle with breast cancer.
The Payne Stewart Award ceremony will be Sept. 19 and televised live on Golf Channel.
Grand slam second
Louis Oosthuizen went from a reputation of having the sweetest swing in golf to being the best at lip syncing.
All because of another runner-up finish.
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion at St. Andrews, made a 50-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the PGA Championship and joined the list of players who have finished runner-up at all four majors. He lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters, lost in a three-man playoff at the 2015 British Open and tied for second in the 2015 U.S. Open.
The others to accomplish that were Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Craig Wood. Norman is the only player from that group to lose all four majors in a playoff (Wood lost in extra holes at the PGA Championship when it was match play).
The South African handled it with a performance on the jet home that rates among his best — mouthing the words, with more expression than he ever allows on the course, to “I’ll Rise Up” by Andra Day.