Australian golfers Scott Hend and Steve Allan were well in the hunt at the year’s first senior major until they were gazumped by a record breaking final round from Stewart Cink.
Stewart Ginn’s 2002 win at the Senior Players Championship.
Hend had shared the lead after the second round while Allan had the same status after the first round.
Hend appeared to be in control Sunday, making four early birdies to take a two-shot lead.
That was before Cink, winner of the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, found his putting mojo to finish with a course-record 9-under 63 for a six-shot victory over Ben Crane.
Cink said it was a 10-foot par putt he made on the fifth hole that helped ignite the stretch where he played eight holes in 7-under.
Hend (71) responded with birdies at the ninth and 12th holes, but double bogeyed the 16th to finish tied for third with Allan (71).
“The ball kept finding the hole. It liked what I was doing today,” Cink said. “When I worked on my putting (Saturday) night, I wasn’t searching; I was trying to refine. I started playing more break, and it worked.”
PGA TOUR Champions
Senior PGA Championship
The Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, Florida
1 Stewart Cink 69-67-70-63—269 $US540,000
T3 Steve Allan 66-72-68-71—277 $174,000
T3 Scott Hend 69-65-72-71—277 $174,000
T5 Steven Alker (NZ) 76-68-68-68—280 $108,283
T12 Cameron Percy 71-71-68-72—282 $59,816
T27 Greg Chalmers 68-70-73-74—285 $18,623
T41 Richard Green 77-69-75-67—288 $9,388
T41 Mathew Goggin 69-72-77-70—288 $9,388
T47 Michael Wright 73-73-73-70—289 $7,607
T69 Stuart Appleby 73-70-73-80—296 $3,723
74 Mick Smith 75-71-77-78—301 $3,630
MC Brendan Jones 73-75—148
MC Craig Hocknull 78-72—150
MC Mark Hensby 76-75—151
MC Rohan Allwood 75-76—151
MC Michael Campbell (NZ) 78-77—155
MC Brad Burns 80-75—155