Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – Stewart Cink goes 18-under-par to tie for 21^st in the winners-only field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui … Full field set for Sony Open in Hawai’i this week … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

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CINK GOES LOW BUT IS FAR FROM LEAD AT SENTRY TOC

In most events, an 18-under-par score would win or at least be close. Not so at last weekend’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, the winners-only event that traditionally begins each calendar year on the PGA Tour. The 38-player field is comprised of all tournament winners since the last TOC.

Stewart Cink posted an 18-under-par score of 274 (69-67-67-71) but could only tie for 21^st place, 16 strokes off the record-setting total of 258 (-34) set by Cameron Smith.

Cink will do the two-for-one trip this weekend, moving over to Honolulu for the Sony Open in Hawai’i at Waialae Country Club, where he will be joined by Matt Kuchar and Richy Werenski, who have two-year exemptions from their most recent Tour victories, Chesson Hadley and Seth Reeves.

Andy Ogletree also earned a spot through Monday qualifying, firing a 5-under-par 67 at Hoakelei Country Club.

Full leaderboard

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HOW CINK GAINED DISTANCE AT AGE 47 AND ENDED VICTORY DROUGHT

Stewart Cink was nearing 50 and beginning to notice that his drives didn’t carry the bunkers they used to.

A decline in distance is often an unavoidable consequence of aging, but Cink wasn’t ready to accept his shorter tee shots. Long hours in the gym and a plethora of protein shakes weren’t necessary for him to reverse the trend, though.

He was able to gain more than 10 yards – and win for the first time in more than a decade – by making adjustments to his technique and equipment.

“I didn’t think that I was really slowing down physically,” he said. “In fact, my clubhead speed wasn’t slowing down. I just had gotten a little bit inefficient with my driving.”

Adjusting his setup – specifically, his ball position – allowed him to switch to a lower-lofted driver and unlock the power that he already had in his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame.

Just a few weeks after implementing these changes with his full-swing coach, Mike Lipnick, Cink won the Fortinet Championship in September 2020, his first win since the 2009 Open Championship.

More from PGATour.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour:  Sony Open in Hawai’i • January 13-16, 2022 • Waialae Country Club • Honolulu, Hawai’i • Purse: $7,500,000 • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic • January 16-19, 2022 • Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Club • Great Exuma, The Bahamas • Purse: $750,000
• PGA Tour Champions:  Mitsubishi Electric Championship • January 20-22, 2022 • Hualalai Golf club • Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawai’i • Purse: $2,000,000
• Forme Tour:  to be announced
• Mackenzie Tour:  to be announced
• All Pro Tour:  Coke Dr. Pepper Open • March 9-12, 2022 • Oak Wing GC/Links on the Bayou • Alexandria, La. • Purse: 162,500
• G Pro Tour:  Daytona Open • February 22-24, 2022 • LPGA International • Daytona Beach, Fla.
• SwingThought Tour:  Okefenokee Country Club • March 2-3, 2023 • Okefenokee Country Club • Waycross, Ga.

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Really cool that the @Sentry_TOC starts off with his way on Thursday every year, with a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony in the beautiful setting of the @GolfatKapalua first tee! pic.twitter.com/PdYMz56jvH

— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) January 6, 2022

So much fun this week with the family in Maui to kick off the new year, now ready to get @Sentry_TOC underway! pic.twitter.com/P140MkEUeZ

— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) January 6, 2022

Game is feeling good! pic.twitter.com/0apjp7noZi

— Chesson Hadley (@chessonhadley) January 4, 2022

Undisputed champion of the @Bojangles give away! https://t.co/mBOzERaIgC

— Chesson Hadley (@chessonhadley) January 6, 2022

 

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