PGA TOUR
RBC Heritage
Stewart Cink Wins RBC Heritage Aged 47
Stewart Cink scored an emphatic four-shot victory at the RBC Heritage. The American joined Kenny Perry as players to win multiple times in a PGA Tour season at the age of 47 (Cink won the Safeway Open at the first event of the 2020/21 wrap around season).
Cink bolted to the 36-hole lead after posting rounds of 63 and 63 on Thursday and Friday. At 16-under, he led Canadian Corey Conners by five shots at the hallway mark. The 1997 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year then carded a two-under 69 on Saturday to maintain his five-shot lead—this time over PGA Champion Collin Morikawa. Cink’s 54-hole total of 195, bettered the tournament’s lowest score after three rounds by two shots.
For the 13th time in his PGA Tour career, Cink headed into Sunday as the leader/co-leader. In his previous 12 attempts, he only managed two victories. Determined to advance his record at closing out an event, Cink covered the outward nine holes in a bogey-free 1-under. He continued his stress-free round on the inward nine holes with just one blemish at the 12th hole. Cink erased that bogey with a birdie at the 71st hole and take an unassailable four-shot lead down the final hole. No player got within his four-shot margin of victory throughout the final round. He finished with a 1-under 70 to reach 19-under.
The win was Cink’s eighth PGA Tour title. He joined Hale Irwin as a three-time winner of the RBC Heritage. The former Open Champion also won this event in 2000 and 2004. Only Davis Love III owns more tartan jackets with five event wins.
Compatriot Harold Varner III and Emiliano Grillo shared second place at 15-under. Varner, whose only win as a professional came at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship, posted a final round 5-under 66. It was the 30-year-old’s best finish in a PGA Tour event. Grillo, who was the sixth golfer from Argentina to win on the PGA Tour at the 2015 Frys.com Open, carded a final round 3-under 68. Both players produced all four rounds in the 60s at Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head in South Carolina.
America's Maverick McNealy (67), England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (68) and Canada's Corey Conners (68) took a share of third place at 13-under. Conners has enjoyed four top 10 results in his last six outings.
Defending champion Webb Simpson closed with a 1-under 70 to finish in a tie for 9th place at 11-under. He was joined on that mark by Cameron Smith. Smith, who was the best-placed Australian in the field this week, fired a sizzling 9-under 62 on Day One to hold the 18-hole lead.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson produced a final round 5-under 66 to reach 10-under. He finished nine shots behind Cink and in a tie for 13th place.
The PGA Tour moves to Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana. Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm are the defending champions of the pairs event.
Final Scores
RBC Heritage
1. Stewart Cink -19
T2. Harold Varner III -15
T2. Emiliano Grillo -15
T4. Maverick McNealy -13
T4. Corey Conners -13
T4. Matt Fitzpatrick -13
Australians
T9. Cameron Smith -11
T25. Cameron Davis -8
Photo credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
