Stewart Cink ties Y.E. Yang atop Ascension Charity Classic leaderboard

Things to know

• The Ascension Charity Classic is being contested for the fourth time, each time at Norwood Hills Country Club
• Stewart Cink matched the round of the day with 4-under 67 and will play in the final group for the third time this season
• First-round leader Y.E. Yang carded 2-under and sits T1 with Stewart Cink
• Defending champion Steve Flesch sits T23 (140/-2) and six back entering the final round

Stewart Cink: 67-67 – 134 (-8)

• Played the back nine bogey-free highlighted by an eagle (No. 11) and two birdies (Nos. 10 and 16) en route to 4-under 67 in his first Ascension Charity Classic appearance
• His 67 equaled the low round of the day (Bernhard Langer/T3; Darren Clarke/T10)
• Holds the second-round lead/co-lead for the third time in his career on PGA TOUR Champions; 1-for-2 in converting previous second-round leads/co-leads into victories (T7/2024 Cologuard Classic, Won/2024 The Ally Challenge)
• The 51-year-old seeks his second win on PGA TOUR Champions in 14 days. Last win: 2024 Ally Challenge - became this season’s third first-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions, joining Ricardo Gonzalez (Trophy Hassan II) and Richard Bland (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship)
• With a win on Sunday, would join Ernie Els (Principal Charity Classic, American Family Insurance Championship) as players to win in consecutive starts this season

Y.E. Yang: 65-69 – 134 (-8)

• Seeks his first PGA TOUR Champions title in his 72nd start; owns two runner-up results (2022 Ascension Charity Classic, 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship)
• Holds the second-round lead/co-lead for the fourth time in his career on PGA TOUR Champions and for the second consecutive year at the Ascension Charity Classic; 0-for-3 in converting previous second-round leads/co-leads into victories
• Both his PGA TOUR victories came in 2009 – The Honda Classic and the PGA Championship, where he defeated Tiger Woods by three strokes
• Makes third appearance at the Ascension Charity Classic (second/2022, T3/2023); eight rounds at Norwood Hills Country Club: 68-66-66-64-66-70-65-69

Additional notes

• In his fourth appearance at this event, World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer posted a bogey-free 4-under 67; best finish at this event: fourth/2022; seeks his first win this season with his most recent victory coming at the 2023 U.S. Senior Open Championship to become the all-time wins leader (46). Will play in the final group for the second time this season (T3/Principal Charity Classic)
• Rod Pampling seeks his first win at the Ascension Charity Classic and best finish in four starts (T33/2023, T51/2022, T23/2020) and first win of the 2024 season (last: 2023 SAS Championship)
• In his 200th PGA TOUR Champions start, Kevin Sutherland seeks his sixth PGA TOUR Champions title, first since the 2021 Cologuard Classic. With a win on Sunday, it would be the second consecutive year that a player wins the Ascension Charity Classic with one of their children on the bag (son Keaton). Last: 2023 Ascension Charity Classic (Steve Flesch, with son Griffin)
• After carding his age or better for the 20th time on PGA TOUR Champions in the first round, St. Louis, Missouri, native Jay Haas posted 3-over in the second round and sits T44 (142/E)
• Monday qualifier and former University of Missouri golfer Jason Schultz sits T31 (141/-1) in his fourth PGA TOUR Champions start, while St. Louis, Missouri, native Jay Delsing sits T70 (154/+12).