Stewart Cink Runs Away from the Field to Win the Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills

Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, Grand Blanc, MI — August 25, 2024

Perfect weather continued for the final day of the Ally Challenge presented by McLaren at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club. After last year’s wet and rainy weekend, the sun was a welcome friend for this year’s tournament. Several golfers were making moves early, but it may be too little, too late, as Stewart Cink showed no signs of faltering from his three-shot lead to begin his final round.

David Duval and Bernhard Langer were two of the early starters today that lit up the course. Duval, playing in the second group off the first tee, birdied the first hole and then strung together four consecutive birdies on holes five through eight to shoot 31 on the front side.

On the par three 11th hole Duval’s tee shot found the green side bunker. Safely out, he could not convert the par putt and carded a bogey. He birdied three of the next four holes to get to seven under on the day. Pars on 16, 17, and 18 stalled his charge and he finished at nine under for the tournament.

Langer made eagle on hole number one and carded two birdies on his opening nine. Three more birdies on 10, 13, and 16 and he shot seven under to match Duval’s 65 and into a tie at the -9 number to par for his three rounds.

Mike Weir also eagled the first hole. Five birdies over seven holes in the middle of the course brought him to seven under par for the day and 11 under par for the tournament after the 14th hole. That matched the total score Cink posted for his first two rounds.

Weir sunk another birdie on the par three 17th hole, much to the delight of the crowd in the beer garden. A par on 18 gave Weir the best round of the tournament, an eight under 64. Making him the leader in the clubhouse at 12 under par.

K.J. Choi put some pressure on early. Playing in the group ahead of the Cink, Choi birdied three of the first four holes to tie for the lead at 11 under. Choi could find only two more birdies the rest of the day and finished the tournament at 13 under par. Good enough for second place.

Stewart Cink got things rolling with a birdie on the fifth hole. Two more birdies over the next four holes created some space between himself and Choi after nine. Birdies on 11, 13, and 16 gave Cink a four stroke cushion. A par on the 17th avoided the trouble that has been a part of this tournament in the past.

However, Cink hit his drive into the fairway bunker on 18. His second shot landed near the grandstand short of the green on the right. Cink was allowed a drop, one club length from the unnatural obstruction. His laser accurate chip landed short of the pin and he calmly stroked the par put dead center in the hole.

Cink tied the tournament record of 199 strokes and earned his first win on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

Results of the Ally Challenge presented by McLaren from Warwick Hills