Stewart Cink won his first senior major title over the weekend — in dominant fashion. With rounds of 69-67-70-63, Cink ran away from the field at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., posting 19 under for a six-shot victory over runner-up Ben Crane.
“To win a tournament like this, back to four rounds on a golf course like this, full field — this trophy is so heavy can hardly pick it up — it feels great,” Cink said. “It’s just validating what I’m doing with my team.”
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Cink was excellent all week on the way to his maiden senior major victory, but it was the final round that put an exclamation point on the week. With seven birdies and an eagle, the 52-year-old cruised to a bogey-free 63.
“Today was just one of the best rounds I’ve played as a professional golfer,” Cink said. “It was just really good.”
Really good may be an understatement. With seven birdies and an eagle — and no bogeys — Cink’s round was the best in the field by three shots Sunday, and five better than any other competitor finishing in the top 10.
His sublime final round was no accident. According to Cink, after his third round in which he posted a two-under 70, he headed to the practice green to clean some things up with his short game. That’s when found something in his green reading that was game-changing.
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Cink’s green-reading tweak
When Cink went to the practice green Saturday night, he wasn’t searching for a magic fix in his game; he’d played solidly through three rounds. But he did notice that he’d been missing a majority of his putts on the low side (aka below the hole).
“I just kind of went back to a few basics and changed my philosophy on reading the greens just a hair,” Cink said. “Added some break today, actually.”
That’s all it took. By playing a little more break on Concession’s difficult greens than he initially saw, he poured in putt after putt in what he called “one of [his] best putting days of the last year.”
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How over-reading can help you
Recreational golfers can learn a lot from Cink’s Saturday-night epiphany. According to research from GOLF Top 100 Teacher Eric Alpenfels, 96 percent of golfers under-read their putts by more than 60 percent. That means that nine in 10 times you see your playing partner line up for a putt, he or she will miss it on the low side.
When you miss below the hole, your ball has zero chance of going in. Plus, when the ball gets below the hole, it gets further from the hole as it rolls out. Both of these things are bad for your putting stats — and, ultimately, your scores.
So, next time you line up for a putt, take a page out of Cink’s putt and play for a little more break. Chances are, it’ll put your ball in a much better position to go in the hole.
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