BRADENTON, Fla. — Stewart Cink pulled away from the field with an astonishing stretch around the turn Sunday to close with a 9-under 63 for a six-shot victory in the Senior PGA Championship, his first senior major and third win of the year on the PGA Tour Champions.
Cink was one shot behind going into the final round at Concession Golf Club, and then he removed all drama with a remarkable run.
It started with an eagle on the par-5 seventh. He closed out the front nine with back-to-back birdies to seize control, and then he poured it on with a 35-foot birdie putt up the slope and with perfect speed that took the break and dropped for birdie on the par-3 11th.
He was 5-under par over that five-hole stretch, and then it was a matter of everyone else playing for second. Cink added an up-and-down birdie on the par-5 13th, and he rolled in an 18-foot birdie on the 14th hole.
Ben Crane closed with a 68 to finish alone in second in his Senior PGA Championship debut.
Keith Horne of South Africa, who began the final round with a one-shot lead, couldn’t keep up with Cink’s and fell back with a double bogey on the par-4 12th hole.
Cink, who won the 2009 British Open in a playoff over Tom Watson at Turnberry, has yet to have a round over par in his 16 rounds on the PGA Tour Champions. Along with his three victories this season, he has a runner-up finish and his worst result was a tie for sixth.
He finished 19-under 269, missing by one shot the record to par of 20 under by Sam Snead in the 1973 Senior PGA Championship at PGA National.
Scott Hend and Steve Allan, both of Australia, each closed with a 71 and tied for third.
