Cink wins RBC Heritage for third time
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Stewart Cink shot a steady, stress-free 70 to cap a dominant, record-breaking week and win his third RBC Heritage title Sunday.
The 47-year-old finished at 19-under-par 265 at Harbour Town, four better than Emiliano Grillo (68) and Harold Varner III (66), who had his highest career finish.
Cink hugged his son and caddie, Reagan, after his closing par on the 18th green. He, wife Lisa and their other son, Connor, had their arms around each other to celebrate. “I don’t even know if I have the words,” Stewart Cink said.
He won for the second time this season — only he and Bryson DeChambeau have done that — and continued his resurgence on the PGA Tour at a time when many pros his age are looking ahead to the PGA Tour Champions.
Cink broke a 12-year winless streak at the Safeway Open in September and added five more top-20 finishes.
Cink is the fourth player to win twice in the same PGA Tour season after turning 47. Sam Snead, Julius Boros and Kenny Perry, who accomplished it twice, are the others.
Cink put on show for the ages — shattering the lowest 36-hole score at Harbour Town of 13-under 129 shared by Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson. Cink also broke the 54hole scoring mark of 16-under 197 that Justin Leonard had in his 2002 win.
Las Vegas resident Collin Morikawa, the PGA Championship winner paired with Cink, opened with a birdie. But bogeys on the second and fourth holes took Morikawa out of the mix.
■ LPGA: At Kapolei, Hawaii, Lydia Ko closed the Lotte Championship with a 7-under 65 for a 28-under
260 total and a seven-shot win for the 23-year-old’s first tour victory in three years. Second-ranked Inbee Park (63), a Bishop Gorman product, matched the final round’s top score and tied for second with third-ranked Sei Young Kim (65), fourth-ranked Nelly Korda (71) and Leona Maguire (67).
■ European PGA: At Atzenbrugg, Austria, John Catlin shot 7-under 65 to tie Maximilian Kieffer (66) atop the Austrian Open leaderboard at 14-under 274 and then beat the 30-yearold German on the fifth playoff hole for his third tour win. Third-round co-leader Martin Kaymer (70) was third, three shots back. UNLV product Garrick Higgo (68) tied for fourth, six strokes behind.
■ Champions: Atnaples,fla.,u.s. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker closed the Chubb Classic with a 5-under 67 for a 16-under 200 total and his sixth tour win. Las Vegas resident Alex Cejka (68) and second-round co-leader Robert Karlsson (69) tied for second, one shot back.