BRADENTON — Stewart Cink lit up the competition and the course to win the 86th Senior PGA Championship on Sunday, April 19, at The Concession Golf Club.
The 21-time winner on the PGA Tour won the tournament by an extraordinary 6 strokes, finishing his 72-hole work week at 19-under par (269) to win his first major title on the Champions Tour and his sventh overall. It was Cink’s fourth victory in his last 6 Senior Tour events.
More stunning than his margin of victory was Cink’s final round of 9-under 63. The figure was a record for The Concession, which hosted the tournament for the first time.
“There’s never been a day at The Concession that is not difficult,” the 52-year-old from Huntsville, Ala., said. “It’s a hard golf course. I think the nickname (The Concussion) is well-known out there. I don’t need to say it.
“I’m glad we’re here for a couple more years. It’s great to play in Florida. I think this is a really great golf course. It requires a lot out of you, a lot of discipline.”
Despite being frustrated with his putting earlier in the week, Cink sank lengthy putts seemingly at will and played 3 holes (7,8,9) at 4-under par on Sunday.
“The ball was finding the hole an awfuI lot,” said Cink. “I went to the putting green just to reconfirm that everything I was doing was good,”
“My golf ball was just scared of the dark. It didn’t want to go in the hole. Anybody here feel me on that?”
The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket played the 16 par-5s at 15-under par during the week. His seventh title also gives him a lifetime exemption to play on the Senior Tour.
“Today was just one of the best rounds I’ve played as a professional golfer,” Cink said. “It was just really good.”
For his efforts, Cink pocketed a check for $540,000 and took home the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy, a 36-pound colossus that is slightly taller than the Stanley Cup.
In his first season on the PGA’s senior circuit, Ben Crane of Portland, Oregon, finished a distant runner-up at 13-under, following a final round 68 and earned $324,000. In a tie for third at 11-under were Australians Stephan Allan and Scott Hend, who won $174,000 each.
Third-round leader Keith Horne of South Africa registered his best finish on tour in a 3-way tie for fifth place at 8-under with Pat Perez of Phoenix and New Zealand’s Steve Aiker. Horne shot a 1-under 71 during the final round, while Aiker and Perez carded 68 and 69, respectively. The trio snared $108,283 apiece.
2026 Senior PGA Championship prize money
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Stewart Cink sets course record to capture 86th Senior PGA Championship
Reporting by Jim Brockman, Special to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
