Stewart Cink’s 2009 Open Championship Victory, A Retrospective on His Major Career

Quick Answer

Stewart Cink won the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry by defeating 59-year-old Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff, capping a career defined by consistency rather than flash. That major remains his only one, but it validated a career that includes eight PGA Tour victories, multiple Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances, and a successful second act on the PGA Tour Champions.

Key Facts

• Born May 21, 1973, in Huntsville, Alabama; currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia
• Attended Georgia Tech from 1991–1995, majoring in Management; three-time NCAA Division I All-American (1993, 1994, 1995)
• Turned professional in 1995
• Won the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, defeating Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff
• Has eight PGA Tour Champions wins through the 2026 season
• Earned over $8 million on the PGA Tour Champions with a perfect 49/49 cuts-made record
• Member of multiple Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams
• Finished runner-up at the 2008 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, losing 8 & 7 in the 36-hole final
• Active in charitable work through Cink Charities, Inc.

The Road to Turnberry A Career Built on Consistency

Before the 2009 Open Championship, Stewart Cink's career could be described as quietly excellent. He was the kind of player who made cuts, contended occasionally, and earned the respect of peers without ever forcing his way into the conversation about the game's elite.

His eight PGA Tour victories before that point—and the ones that followed—were spread across nearly two decades, a testament to longevity more than dominance. Cink's path to professional golf began in Huntsville, Alabama, where he learned the game on a driving range before he was old enough for his parents to bring him to a course.

That early exposure translated into a standout college career at Georgia Tech, where he earned All-America honors three consecutive years. His management degree from a rigorous academic institution suggested a player who thought about the game strategically, not just athletically.

When Cink turned professional in 1995, he entered a PGA Tour landscape dominated by Tiger Woods, then in the early stages of his own ascent. For a player without overwhelming power or a signature putting stroke, carving out a career meant doing everything well and nothing poorly.

Cink fit that mold. His game was balanced: reliable off the tee, solid with irons, and capable of stretches of excellent putting.

The 2008 season offered a preview of what was possible. At the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona, Cink advanced through a demanding field to reach the final.

He faced Henrik Stenson in the 36-hole championship match and lost decisively, 8 & 7. The margin was brutal, but reaching that stage demonstrated Cink could navigate the most pressure-packed formats against the world's best.

What the match play loss also revealed was a player who could handle the spotlight even when results fell short. Cink's post-round demeanor, his willingness to credit his opponent, and his refusal to make excuses became part of his professional reputation.

Those qualities would matter enormously a year later.

The 2009 Open Championship How the Final Day Unfolded

The 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry was supposed to be Tom Watson's story. The 59-year-old, eight years removed from his last PGA Tour victory and decades removed from his prime, had played four rounds of astonishing golf to hold a one-shot lead entering the final day.

The narrative wrote itself: golf's elder statesman, who had won this very championship at Turnberry in 1977 in the famous "Duel in the Sun" against Jack Nicklaus, was attempting to become the oldest major champion in history. Cink entered the final round trailing, not the center of attention, and arguably not even the second-most-discussed player in his own pairing.

That dynamic may have worked in his favor. While Watson carried the weight of history and the hopes of galleries who wanted to witness something unprecedented, Cink played free.

The final round followed the script most observers expected until it didn't. Watson, showing remarkable poise for a man his age, appeared to have the championship within reach.

But the closing holes at Turnberry are demanding, and the pressure of the moment—combined with the physical toll of four rounds in challenging conditions—began to show. Watson's lead evaporated with bogeys at the 71st and 72nd holes, forcing a four-hole playoff.

In the playoff, the fairytale ended decisively. Cink played steady, aggressive golf while Watson, emotionally and physically spent, could not summon another miracle.

Cink won the playoff and, with it, the Claret Jug. The victory was not the stuff of legend in the way Watson's would have been.

But it was legitimate. Cink had played the final round well enough to apply pressure, and he had executed in the playoff when it mattered most.

Championships are won by whoever handles the moment; on that day, Cink did.

What the Victory Meant for Cink's Career Trajectory

Winning a major changes a career in ways both tangible and intangible. For Cink, the 2009 Open Championship provided validation that had been missing despite years of solid play.

He was no longer a player who had nearly won big events; he was a major champion, a label that carries permanent weight in golf. The victory also altered how Cink was perceived by sponsors, media, and even fellow players.

Major champions receive invitations to events they might otherwise miss, earn exemptions that extend beyond the standard five-year PGA Tour window, and command more attention in every room they enter. Cink handled that shift with the same even keel he brought to the rest of his career.

In the years following Turnberry, Cink continued to compete on the PGA Tour without matching that major breakthrough. His game remained solid, his results respectable, but the window for contending in majors alongside younger, longer hitters inevitably narrowed.

By the time Cink reached his late forties, the natural transition to the PGA Tour Champions became the logical next step. That transition proved remarkably successful.

Through the 2026 season, Cink has won eight times on the PGA Tour Champions, earned more than $8 million, and maintained a perfect record of 49 cuts made in 49 starts. Those numbers reflect not just talent but an unusual level of consistency that has defined his entire career.

His Champions tour success has also coincided with personal milestones. Cink's wife, Lisa, and their two children have been visible presences throughout his career, and his charitable work through Cink Charities has provided a platform beyond competitive golf.

The organization focuses on collaborative golf experiences and charitable giving, extending the reach of his name beyond leaderboards.

Evaluating Cink's Place in Golf History

Assessments of Stewart Cink's career tend to hinge on a single question: Does one major victory define a player, or does a career's full body of work matter more? The strictest view holds that Cink's legacy is permanently tied to denying Tom Watson the most improbable major championship in golf history.

There is some truth to this. Watson's runner-up finish at age 59 became the story of that championship, and Cink's victory was inevitably framed as the obstacle to a perfect narrative.

Some fans have never fully forgiven Cink for being the one who closed the door on history. But that framing sells Cink short.

Eight PGA Tour victories, eight PGA Tour Champions victories, multiple Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances, and a major championship represent a career that most professionals would envy. The consistency required to remain competitive across three decades, through changes in equipment, course conditions, and the relentless influx of younger talent, is its own form of excellence.

What separates Cink from many of his peers is the evenness of his performance. He has never been the longest hitter or the most exciting putter.

He wins by making few mistakes, by grinding out pars when others make bogeys, and by staying present in moments when others lose focus. Those qualities are less telegenic than raw power or spectacular shot-making, but they win tournaments.

The Champions tour numbers deserve particular attention. A 49-for-49 cuts-made record is remarkable at any level, but on a tour where many players are still highly competitive into their fifties, it demonstrates that Cink's game has not eroded significantly with age.

His eight wins there suggest he has found a second gear when many contemporaries have faded.

The Watson Factor How History Has Treated the 2009 Finale

No retrospective of Cink's major career can avoid the central drama of the 2009 Open Championship. Tom Watson's performance that week was extraordinary by any measure.

At 59, he had no business leading a major championship after three rounds, let alone holding a one-shot advantage entering the final day. His play summoned memories of his 1977 duel with Nicklaus at the same venue, and galleries responded with an emotional investment rarely seen in modern golf.

The final round was a study in tension. Watson played with remarkable composure for most of the day, but the closing holes at Turnberry punished his mistakes.

A bogey at the 71st hole and another at the 72nd dropped him into the playoff with Cink, who had posted a final round that put pressure on the leader without ever forcing the issue. The playoff itself was anticlimactic by comparison.

Cink played with the calm authority of a man who had been waiting for this opportunity his entire career. Watson, drained by the emotional and physical demands of four days, could not match him.

The four-hole playoff belonged entirely to Cink. In the years since, Watson has spoken about that week with a mixture of pride and regret.

The pride comes from demonstrating that age need not end competitive relevance; the regret comes from how close he came to achieving something unprecedented. Cink has handled the aftermath with grace, acknowledging Watson's extraordinary performance while refusing to diminish his own accomplishment.

The broader lesson from 2009 is that golf's major championships reward whoever finishes the job. Cink did not play the most spectacular golf of that week, but he played the most reliable golf when it counted.

That is not a small thing; it is the essence of winning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many PGA Tour victories does Stewart Cink have?

Stewart Cink has eight PGA Tour victories, including his 2009 Open Championship win. He has also won eight times on the PGA Tour Champions as of the 2026 season.

Was the 2009 Open Championship Cink's only major victory?

Yes. The 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry remains Stewart Cink's only major championship victory.

He won it by defeating Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff after Watson bogeyed the final two holes of regulation.

Where did Stewart Cink play college golf?

Stewart Cink attended Georgia Tech from 1991 to 1995, where he majored in Management. He was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American, earning the honor in 1993, 1994, and 1995.

How has Cink performed on the PGA Tour Champions?

Stewart Cink has been highly successful on the PGA Tour Champions, winning eight events and earning over $8 million. He has made the cut in all 49 of his starts, a remarkable record of consistency.

Is Stewart Cink still playing professional golf?

Yes. As of August 2026, Stewart Cink competes on the PGA Tour Champions.

In the 2026 season, he has recorded four wins and 13 top-25 finishes in 13 starts.

Reference Notes

Information in this article is based on publicly available sources. Some details may change over time.

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