April 18, 2021

Stewart Cink Captures RBC Heritage Title

THE FLATS – Playing solid golf with few mistakes on Sunday, Georgia Tech All-American Stewart Cink completed a wire-to-wire victory at the RBC Heritage at the Harbour Town Golf Links, and won for the second time during the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. Cink becomes the second player to win twice on the PGA Tour this season, joining Bryson Dechambeau.

The eighth PGA Tour victory for the former Yellow Jacket, Cink won the RBC Heritage for the third time in his career (he also won in 2000 and 2004), and it is the second time the 47-year-old has won twice in a season during his 26-year professional career. Cink won the Fortinet Championship last October in Napa, Calif. The RBC Heritage win followed a pair of top-20 finishes in his last two PGA Tour starts, a T19 at the Honda Classic and a T12 at the Masters Tournament.

Cink, who shot 63-63 in the first two rounds Thursday and Friday, opened a five-shot lead after 36 holes that he never relinquished. The 63s represented his lowest rounds in 78 tries on the Harbor Town Golf Links, and one stroke shy of his career low. He set the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record at 16-under 126 (Previous: 129 by Phil Mickelson/2002; Jack Nicklaus/1975). The 126 total shattered his career-low 36-hole score (130; five occasions, most recent at 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii).

He followed with a 69 Saturday to maintain the cushion, setting the lowest 54-hole score at the RBC Heritage by two strokes (197/Justin Leonard/2002), and equalling his best opening 54-hole score (2008 Travelers Championship/won, 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii/T19).

Still ahead five strokes after 54 holes, Cink closed with a 1-under-par 70 Sunday to hold off his playing partner Collin Morikawa, as well as late challenges from Emiliano Grillo and Harold Varner III. He had two birdies and one bogey on his card, winning by four strokes and never letting his lead slip below three during the final round.

63-63-69-70. 🏆
What a week for @StewartCink alongside his son, Reagan. pic.twitter.com/ZXoShzl0Qv
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2021

🏆 @StewartCink has won his third @RBC_Heritage!
The 47-year-old joins @B_DeChambeau as the only two-time winners this season. pic.twitter.com/ea9b7GRCAt
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2021

The exclamation point. 🐦 @StewartCink heads to 18 leading by FOUR. pic.twitter.com/YdcghUUMGn
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2021

A win to remember for Team Cink. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sR1zBTlKF4
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2021

ALSO NOTABLE

Cink joined Davis Love III (5) and Hale Irwin (3) with three or more victories at the RBC Heritage.
Sunday’s victory came in Cink’s 610^th official PGA TOUR start at the age of 47 years, 10 months, 28 days.
His Sunday came 21 years and 1 day since his 2000 RBC Heritage title and 16 years, 11 months, 30 days since winning in 2004.
Cink became the second-oldest winner of the RBC Heritage (Hale Irwin/1994/48-10-14).
The victory boosts his FedEx Cup points ranking from No. 26 to No. 3.

CINK’S PGA TOUR VICTORIES