Cink shines as wife battles cancer

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Georgia — A great start to the week got even better for Stewart Cink on Thursday.

Three days after his wife, Lisa, received a good report on her Stage 4 breast cancer, she was in the gallery at Sea Island as he posted a career-low 62 to finish one shot behind in the RSM Classic. “Huge blessing,” Cink said. Cink, winless since his British Open victory at Turnberry in 2009, stepped away from the PGA Tour in May when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. After nine rounds of chemotherapy, doctors switched her over to what Cink described as a maintenance program.

“I am just really encouraged by the way she’s been able to fight and handle it,” Cink said. “She’s had definitely a lot of ups and downs and she feels pretty well, and she got a good report Monday — real good. She’s really like an inspiration for me.”

Mackenzie Hughes, the rookie from Hamilton, Ont., flirted with a sub-60 round until pars on the final three holes on the Seaside course for a 61 and a oneshot lead over Cink and Jonathan Byrd.

Cink was a strong presence, especially with his wife in the gallery. She has only missed one tournament since a sporadic return to golf, usually walking 18 holes.

Cink, with six PGA Tour victories, five Ryder Cup teams and a claret jug from his British Open playoff victory over Tom Watson, was jolted when his wife was diagnosed in the spring.

“I’m just trying to let golf be a piece of my life and not let life be a piece of golf,” Cink said. “It grew out of our situation with Lisa where I felt like I had a chance to do some things to just kind of turn myself around.”