Stewart Cink birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and win the Boeing Classic on Sunday in Snoqualmie, Wash.
Cink started the day four off the pace and rallied with a 7-under-par 65 to finish 12-under 204 for the event. Jimenez did him one better with a 64, but when they replayed the par-5 18th hole at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, Jimenez placed his third shot in a greenside bunker, giving Cink the upper hand to win with a close-range birdie putt.
It marked Cink’s fifth win of the season, which leads the PGA Tour Champions, and his ninth on the senior circuit in less than a three-year span. And he strengthened his hold on the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points lead.
“You know, it’s really a good feeling to be able to have one good round and that be enough to remain in contention when I was kind of sloppy the first couple days,” Cink said. “I don’t want to harp on that because I still ended up winning and I’m proud of that. I work hard to be in this position, but today I’m really proud.”
Cink, 53, also prevailed after placing second here a year ago, falling to Australia’s Steve Allan by a single stroke.
“Last year actually really stung because I felt like I played well enough to win,” the one-time major winner said. “I didn’t play that well on Sunday, and from where I drove it on 18, just didn’t take advantage of really being in a strong position to make a birdie and win, or tie at least, get into a playoff. So, I felt like I had a little bit of a score to settle in my heart coming in here, to be honest.”
He made up for that shortcoming this year after Jimenez finished his round ahead of Cink by firing a white-hot, 8-under-par 28. His midrange birdie putt at No. 18 broke a tie with Cink and put him alone in the lead at 12 under.
Cink was not far behind. He converted a short birdie putt on the par-3 17th to reach 12 under. He had a birdie look on No. 18 to win outright but left it just high.
Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen (68) was third at 11 under. New Zealand’s Steven Alker began the day with a narrow lead but only managed a 1-under 71 and tied for fourth at 10 under alongside Ernie Els of South Africa (64), David Toms (66), George McNeill (67), Fred Couples (67), Jerry Kelly (68) and Steve Flesch (69).