Cink, Cabrera Bello, Crane lead St. Jude after 3 rounds Champions Tour
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Stewart Cink felt the familiar emotions and butterflies and savored every minute of it on Saturday.
He had some great moments and tough ones at TPC Southwind, making five birdies and four bogeys on the way to a 1-under 69. Now he’s in a three-way tie with Rafa Cabrera Bello and Ben Crane for the lead at the St. Jude Classic after three rounds.
Win or lose on Sunday, the 44-year-old Cink is relishing his status as a contender, especially after all the personal and professional adversity he and his family have been through over the past few years.
“It’s a moment you don’t really get to experience that often, even if you’ve played on the Tour for 21 years,” Cink said. “This may only happen a handful of times. Maybe a few more. So it’s a really sweet feeling.”
Cink has gradually improved his game since missing several weeks last year to help care for his wife Lisa, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. He qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday in Ohio and has now had three solid rounds at the par-70 TPC Southwind course to be in the hunt for his first victory since winning the 2009 British Open.
Cink said Lisa is at the course this weekend and her health is good.
The six-time PGA Tour winner wasn’t very competitive from 2014 to 2016, with just one top 10 finish during those three years. But he’s enjoyed quite the resurgence this season, with two top 10s and eight top 25s in 18 events.
Now he’s got a real chance to add his seventh PGA victory.
“I’m probably not supposed to be doing this,” Cink said. “But I don’t really care about that. My golf ball doesn’t know how old I am.”
Cabrera Bello shot a 65 and Crane — who won the St. Jude Classic in 2014 — shot a 68 to join Cink at 9-under 201 for the tournament.
Cabrera Bello, a 33-year-old from Spain, has four international victories, but has never won on the PGA Tour. He’s 30th in the World Golf Ranking and chipped in on back-to-back holes on the front nine to jumpstart his round.
“It got me laughing because I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before,” Cabrera Bello said. “So obviously very pleased. It took away a little bit of pressure, just brought the smile to my face.”
Crane is one of Cink’s good friends on the tour and said it’s been rewarding to watch Cink overcome so much adversity. The two played in the same group on Saturday.
“The past year for Stewart has been something that you wouldn’t wish any couple to go through,” Crane said. “But we’ve watched Stewart and Lisa get closer to each other, get closer to God and be a light out here on the PGA Tour in the midst of these trials.”
Cink had a good start on Saturday, with birdies on three of his first five holes.
He opened up a three shot lead at 11under after a seven-foot birdie putt on No. 5, but dropped back to the field after three bogeys on the back nine.
LPGA Tour
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario - Lexi Thompson shot a 67 for a 17-under 199 total and a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Manulife LPGA Classic.
Fellow American Lindy Duncan was in second after a 67, followed by South Korea’s In Gee Chun (68) another shot back. Canada’s Alena Sharp (70), who was in a three-way for the lead with Thompson and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, fell into a tie for fourth with world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (65) of Thailand.
DES MOINES, Iowa - Brandt Jobe shot a six-under 66 to take a share of the lead following the second round of the PGA Tour Champions event in Iowa.
Jobe and Glen Day will enter Sunday’s final round at 11-under 133.
European Tour
ATZENBRUGG, Austria - Chilean golfer Felipe Aguilar retained a twostroke lead after the third round of the Lyoness Open.
Aguilar had a three-stroke advantage but dropped a shot on the 18th to finish level par and remain 9-under for the tournament. Johan Carlsson of Sweden, Dylan Frittelli of South Africa and Sepp Straka of Austria followed on 7-under each.