Cink ends title drought with Safeway Open triumph

Stewart Cink claimed his first PGA Tour title in 11 years after winning the Safeway Open by two strokes.

Cink carded a seven-under-par 65 on Sunday as he surged to his first victory since clinching the 2009 Open Championship.

The 47-year-old American golfer was two shots adrift of overnight leaders Brian Stuard, James Hahn and Cameron Percy heading into the final round at the Silverado Country Club in Napa, California, where the 2020-21 season got underway.

But eight birdies and just one bogey saw Cink emerge triumphant for his seventh PGA Tour crown at 21 under, ahead of countryman Harry Higgs (68).

A win for the whole family. @StewartCink grabs the @SafewayOpen title with son Reagan as his caddie. pic.twitter.com/QF7i9Tyi9o

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 14, 2020

Doc Redman (62), Chez Reavie (66), Kevin Streelman (67) and Stuard (70) finished tied for third, while Sam Burns (70) and Kristoffer Ventura (70) were a stroke further back at 17 under.

Hahn's final-round 72 saw him drop to 16 under and tied for ninth, while Percy (74) struggled to close the tournament in a share of 23rd position.

Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson ended the event with back-to-back 70s to earn a share of 44th place, 11 shots behind champion Cink, with the U.S. Open on the horizon.

The rescheduled U.S. Open is set to begin in New York on Thursday amid the coronavirus pandemic.