It wasn’t the week that either Pádraig Harrington or Darren Clarke were looking for at the PGA Tour Champions’ Hoag Classic, but it was exactly what the doctor ordered for Stewart Cink.
The reigning Schwab Cup champion further cemented his position at the top of the 2026 rankings as he cruised to a four-stroke win and picked up his second victory of the campaign having captured the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Cink led by three from Steven Alker and Freddie Jacobsen going into the final day and never looked in any real trouble, picking off birdies on two, nine and 11 to tighten his grip. Though he dropped a shot on the 12th, he made three more birdies over the closing six to seal his sixth Champions Tour win with Zach Johnson and Ernie Els sharing second, four shots in arrears.
“I was paying attention to what the scores are like so I knew what I needed to do,” Cink said. “I wasn’t going to change my game plan at all until maybe we got to — there’s some decision making on the back nine here, 15 through 18 especially, about how you’re going to play the two par 5s but also how you’re going to aim the ball on 17.
“So I was very aware of where I stood. But I didn’t have to change anything Because I got enough of a lead where I just stuck to the game plan that we had. I didn’t change anything on 17, anything on 18, 15. I executed some of the best [shots] of my life really on those holes.”
Harrington, who won this event in 2024, never really got going over the weekend after opening with a five-under 65. A closing 69 saw him finish on -8 alongside Clarke who produced his lowest round of the week on the final day and climbed 16 places with a five-under 66.
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