RBC Heritage Final Day 1-Under Par '4-Shot Victory', Barner III 2nd, 'Number 1' Johnson Tied 9th
Stuart Sink is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the RBC Heritage. Hilton Head (South Carolina, USA) = Getty Images / Multivitz
[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "Age is just a number."
The ‘48-year-old veteran’ Stewart Cink (USA) achieved a commanding victory. On the 19th (Korean time) at the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA (par 71, 7,121 yards), he added a 1-under-par round on the final day of the PGA Tour RBC Heritage (total prize money $7.1 million) to secure a 4-stroke win (19-under-par 265). This marks his second win of the season in just seven months since the Safeway Open in September last year, which counts toward the 2021 season, and his eighth career victory, earning $1,278,000 (14.3 billion KRW) in prize money.
Cink started with a 5-stroke lead and recorded two birdies and one bogey. He made a birdie on the 5th hole (par 5) and a bogey on the 12th hole (par 4), but no significant challengers appeared. He secured the win with a birdie on the 17th hole (par 3) near the end. He built momentum by shooting consecutive 8-under-par rounds in the first and second rounds. His son Reagan served as his caddie, and his wife Lisa, who overcame breast cancer, followed him throughout the round to cheer him on, making it a family celebration.
Cink is the player who made headlines in July 2009 by engaging in a four-hole playoff with Tom Watson (USA) during the ‘oldest major’ The Open Championship. Although he became a first-time major champion, the spotlight was on Watson’s ‘sixtieth birthday fighting spirit,’ and Cink was even criticized as the "villain who shattered the dreams of the veteran." Watson had started with a 1-stroke lead, attempting to become the oldest Open champion in 142 years.
Stuart Sink (right) and his son, who served as his caddie, are cheering as they head to the 18th hole on the final day of the RBC Heritage. Hilton Head (South Carolina, USA) = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images
After that, Cink did not win again until he claimed the title at the Safeway Open, ending an 11-year drought. The victory was even more meaningful as his son was his caddie. This tournament also marked a new milestone as his third win in 17 years, following victories in 2000 and 2004. His long drives reached up to 332 yards, with a greens-in-regulation rate of 77.78%, showcasing his ‘precise iron shots,’ and most notably, an average of 1.63 putts per hole with ‘stingy putting.’ He exclaimed, "I don’t know what to say."
Harold Varner III (USA) and Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) tied for second place (15-under-par 269). World No. 4 Collin Morikawa tied for seventh place (12-under-par 272), and defending champion Webb Simpson (both USA) stopped his title defense at a tie for ninth place (11-under-par 273). ‘Number 1’ Dustin Johnson (USA) joined this group with a 5-under-par surge. It was analyzed that "there were too many mistakes early on."
Im Sung-jae (23) finished tied for 13th (10-under-par 274). He challenged for the ‘top 5’ from a tie for fourth but struggled as his iron shots faltered, and suffered a critical blow with a triple bogey after his tee shot went out of bounds (OB) on the 2nd hole (par 5). South Korea’s Kim Si-woo (26) tied for 33rd (7-under-par 277), Lee Kyung-hoon (30) tied for 56th (1-under-par 283), and Kang Sung-hoon (34, all from CJ Logistics) placed 65th (5-over-par 289).
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