Stewart Ernest Cink (born May 21, 1973) is an American professional golfer who won the 2009 Open Championship. He spent over 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 2004 to 2009.[1][2]
Early years and education
Cink was born in Huntsville, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Florence, where he attended Bradshaw High School. After completing high school in 1991, he graduated from Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 1995 with a degree in Management, where he played golf for the Yellow Jackets; he turned professional in 1995.
Professional career
After winning the Mexican Open and three events on the Nike Tour (now the Web.com Tour) in 1996, Cink joined the PGA Tour in 1997 and won the Canon Greater Hartford Open in his rookie season. Cink performed consistently on the Tour over the next few years, picking up another win at the 2000 MCI Classic. Until his victory in the Open Championship in 2009, 2004 was his most successful season, with a fifth-place finish on the money list and wins at the MCI Heritage and at the WGC-NEC Invitational, which is one of the World Golf Championships events.
On February 24, 2008, Cink was the runner-up in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship played in Marana, Arizona, falling 8 & 7 in the 36-hole final to top-ranked Tiger Woods. In June 2008, he reached his highest ever ranking, sixth, in the Official World Golf Rankings with his victory at the Travelers Championship in suburban Hartford.[3]
On July 19, 2009, Cink won his first major title at the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry, Scotland, defeating 59-year-old, five-time champion Tom Watson by six strokes in a four-hole playoff. Cink had birdied the 72nd hole while Watson bogeyed, which forced the playoff.[4]
Cink has struggled on the PGA Tour since winning the 2009 Open Championship. He is playing the 2016–17 season using a career money list exemption.
Each fall, Cink co-hosts the East Lake Invitational with Billy Andrade at East Lake Golf Club which benefits the East Lake Foundation.
Personal life
Cink and his wife, Lisa, have two sons, Connor and Reagan. Cink is a Christian.[5][6]
Professional wins (14)
PGA Tour wins (6)
| Legend |
| Major championship (1) |
| World Golf Championship (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (4) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|
| 1 |
Jul 27, 1997 |
Canon Greater Hartford Open |
−13 (69-67-65-66=267) |
1 stroke |
 Tom Byrum, Brandel Chamblee,
Jeff Maggert |
| 2 |
Apr 16, 2000 |
MCI Classic |
−14 (71-68-66-65=270) |
2 strokes |
Tom Lehman |
| 3 |
Apr 18, 2004 |
MCI Heritage (2) |
−10 (72-69-69-64=274) |
Playoff |
Ted Purdy |
| 4 |
Aug 22, 2004 |
WGC-NEC Invitational |
−11 (63-68-68-70=269) |
4 strokes |
 Rory Sabbatini, Tiger Woods |
| 5 |
Jun 22, 2008 |
Travelers Championship (2) |
−18 (66-64-65-67=262) |
1 stroke |
Tommy Armour III, Hunter Mahan |
| 6 |
Jul 19, 2009 |
The Open Championship |
−2 (66-72-71-69=278) |
Playoff |
Tom Watson |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–2)
Nike Tour wins (3)
Other wins (5)
Major championships
Wins (1)
1 Defeated Tom Watson in 4-hole playoff by 6 strokes (Cink: 4-3-4-3=14 / Watson: 5-3-7-5=20)
Results timeline
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
DNP = Did not play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1999 Masters – 2000 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (nine times)
World Golf Championships
Wins (1)
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship |
3 |
QF |
R32 |
| Cadillac Championship |
T59 |
T37 |
DNP |
| Bridgestone Invitational |
T6 |
T19 |
T45 |
| HSBC Champions |
T51 |
DNP |
DNP |
1Cancelled due to September 11, 2001 attacks
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No Tournament
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
See also
References
External links
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† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire in 72-holes; # indicates the event was won by an amateur |
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† indicates won major sometime in their respective golfing careers |
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† indicates the event was won in a playoff |
