Stewart Cink heats up, takes 3-stroke lead at Boeing Classic

New Straits Times

4 days ago

WASHINGTON: Stewart Cink shot a bogey-free 8-under-par 64 yesterday to take a three-shot lead going into the final round of the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Washington.
Cink moved up 10 spots from the first round on Friday with eight birdies at Nos. 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18 to get to 12 under for the tournament at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.
"If you stopped me after about No. 5 and said, 'Hey, what are the chances you're going to shoot 64 today?' I would have probably said you were crazy because nothing was happening at all," Cink, 52, said after the round.
"I made a really good par save on the third hole, which is a tough par 4. I made a sloppy par on the first hole, which is an easy par 5. ... Nothing was happening.
"But then, amazing how your momentum can flip with just one, really one putt, and a good putt on 6 from about 15 feet went in the center. It was kind of just the lid was off."
Cink saved par at No. 17 after his tee shot landed about 80 feet from the pin and he got within 5 feet putting his second shot at the par-3 hole.
"Yeah, that was a really big moment because you don't want to throw away a shot. It wasn't a horrible shot off the tee, just a little bit of a cut that didn't really cut and it just ended up down where it did," Cink said.
"To get that ball close enough where the next putt was really makeable was a good way to just kind of keep the momentum going and keep the mindset in the right place."
Steven Alker of New Zealand and Paul Goydos are tied for second at 9-under 135. Alker shot 4-under 68 yesterday, while Goydos carded 69.
"I just kind of kept the round going," Alker said. "I played the par 5s poorly. You've got to get the par 5s out here today. I think I played them 1 over, so you can't do that tomorrow. But otherwise, most of the day just kept my nose clean and hit some good shots. Kind of felt like I left a little bit out there."
Alker was working an unblemished round with birdies at Nos. 5, 6, 12, 14 and 17, then he bogeyed the par-5 No. 18.
"Yeah, just unfortunate about 18," Alker said.
"Going to make dinner taste a little bit not as good. But I'm right there, so I like the golf course, the game's feeling OK, so go get 'em tomorrow."
First-round co-leaders Jerry Kelly and Matt Gogel each fired a 71 to move to 8 under and are tied for fourth with Australian Steve Allan (68). Kelly, 58, is trying to win the Boeing Classic for the second time.
It was the site of his first PGA Tour Champions victory in 2017; now he's searching for his 14th title overall.
Two-time defending champion Stephen Ames of Canada is tied for 19th at 4 under after back-to-back rounds of 70. — REUTERS