After a solo second, a solo second and a solo third in his last four starts on the PGA Tour Champions, Stewart Cink is aiming for a different (and of course better) outcome this week.
Cink shot a second-round 1-under 71 on Saturday in the 2025 Ally Challenge but was tracked down late in the day by Ernie Els, who shot 5-under 67 to get it to 12 under. Cink is at 11 under.
Each man has a win in 2025, Els at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Cink at the Insperity Invitational. But Els also has a couple of recent near misses, tying for third last time out and tying for fifth the time before that.
On Saturday, Cink led much of the day but was 2 over on his last five holes. He had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 but then posted back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 and parred out from there.
Els, meanwhile, made four birdies over his last 10 holes en route to his 67.
“I was trying to get it to double figures somehow and did that. Surprised I’m leading,” Els said after his round. “But there’s a lot of golf tomorrow and a lot of guys in it. I think the target always around here, if the weather’s good, is trying to get to 18 under par. That’s kind of my target.”
Els and Cink played in the same trio Saturday and will be matched up again for Sunday’s final round.
“Yeah, Stewart, we’ve known each other so long, 30 years now,” Els said. “He hits the ball really long, he’s one of the longest guys out here. He has so much game, it’s going to be a tough battle tomorrow. I’m sure he’s going to try and be aggressive and go low.”
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