NAPA, Calif. – Stewart Cink’s victory at the 2020 Safeway Open (since renamed as the Fortinet Championship) was one of the feel-good stories of the year.
At age 47, Cink shot a final-round 7-under 65 on Silverado Resort’s North Course to end a 4,074-day winless drought in wine country. He did so with his son Reagan filling in on the bag and that partnership turned out to be so fruitful that the father-son duo not long thereafter made it official as a full-time job. (They later won the RBC Heritage together.)
But blame Cink’s other child, son Connor, who happened to be celebrating his 27th birthday on the day Cink turned back the clock at Silverado a year ago, for the reason that Cink isn’t back to defend.
It turns dear-old dad was double booked with Connor’s wedding scheduled for this Saturday, September 16. As Cink tweeted, the tournament was originally scheduled for a week earlier before being shifted back to its current dates. Cink added, “Can’t wait for many more events in Napa.”
This marks the second year in a row that the defending champion has not played. Cameron Champ, who won in 2019, skipped after making it to the Tour Championship, which ended on a Monday and the new season resumed that Thursday.
So glad for new sponsor @FortinetChamp, but scheduling shifted the event back one week, to same weekend as my son Connor’s wedding. So, I won’t be able to play as “defending champ.” But…can’t wait for many more events in #Napa!
— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) September 7, 2021