Cink shares lead after 1st round of St Jude Classic
CARY, North Carolina: Three days after sealing a US Open spot via a gruelling 36hole qualifier, Stewart Cink carried his good form into the first round of the St Jude Classic in Memphis yesterday to earn a fourway tie for the lead with a 6underpar 64.
Cink ran up nine birdies and three bogeys in a rollercoaster round at TPC Southwind to join Matt Every, Scott Brown and Colombian Sebastian Munoz at the top. South African Charl Schwartzel and Australian Matt Jones were one shot off the lead.
Rickie Fowler struggled to get his game on track after posting a double bogey at his fourth hole and a triple at his sixth and ended the day on 4over 74, leaving him with a lot of work to do to make the cut in the final tuneup for next week’s US Open.
The 44yearold Cink said he was ‘‘a little tired’’ after coming through a sectional qualifier for the second major of the year.
‘‘Takes a little bit longer at 44 to get over those kind of days,’’ the 2009 British Open champion said.
‘‘I did a pretty good job of managing myself out there, not getting too bent out of shape about anything good or bad that happened. And it was a solid day. Every part of the game was pretty solid.’’
Coleader Every was delighted with his performance, a rare bright spot in what has been a terrible run of form.
‘‘I was kind of due for one,’’ the twotime PGA Tour winner, who has made only two cuts all season and is without a single top60 finish, said.
Phil Mickelson was wayward off the tee but salvaged a 1under 69. — Reuters