WATCHING LISA FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE MOTIVATED ME IN A NEW WAY

After an 11-year winless drought following his Open triumph in 2009, Stewart Cink won twice on the PGA Tour last season. We sat down with the popular American to find out what’s behind his career resurgence

- BRIAN WACKER

Stewart Cink won his first and only Major more than a decade ago, capturing the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry in a play-off with Tom Watson – an event that was memorable as much for the person who didn’t take home the Claret Jug as the one who did.

It would be even longer before Cink would triumph again at any tournament. Then, he improbably won twice during the 2020-21 PGA Tour season, first at the Safeway Open, with his 23-year-old son Reagan on the bag, then again seven months later in the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.

The victories were the seventh and eighth of what has been an impressive career that has also included reaching as high as No. 5 in the world ranking, along with nine combined appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. They have also injected new life into the 48-year-old, who still has “more in the tank”.

Cink sat down with Golf Monthly to discuss winning again, his reflections on the 2009 Open and why he thinks he has been overlooked when it comes to future Ryder Cup captains for the American team.

Your son, Reagan, is now your full-time caddie. What did he show you that proved he would be the right man for the job?