Tight at the top as bad weather suspends play at Valspar Championship
- Planet Sport writer
- 23 March 2024
No less than five players - 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink included - share the lead at the Valspar Championship after Friday's second round was halted due to darkness.
The 50-year-old American carded a four-under-par 67 to reach six-under 136 after 36 holes, good enough for a share of the lead with compatriots Kevin Streelman, Brendon Todd, Chandler Phillips, and Canada's Mackenzie Hughes.
A further eight players are just one stroke adrift of the five leaders. A further eight players are just one stroke adrift of the five leaders, including Americans Justin Thomas, Lucas Glover, Peter Malnati, Michael Kim, Scott Stallings, and Keith Mitchell, along with Ireland's Seamus Power and Australian Aaron Baddeley.
Play was halted by darkness after windy and rainy conditions at Innisbrook's Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida led to delays, although only 15 golfers were unable to complete their second rounds.
Leading that group was Rico Hoey of the Philippines, who sits on five under through 16 holes.
Cink is chasing his first win in nearly three years and ninth PGA Tour title overall.
"I started off pretty scrappy, trying to find my footing, and then I did. I finished very strong," he said. "You have to be long and accurate off the tee, smart with your decisions coming into the greens and hit really solid approaches.
"There's a reason that so many players rave about this course. It requires everything and so far this week I've done everything fairly well."
Friday's second round was also notable for being the 500th PGA Tour cut of Cink's career.
"To make 500 cuts, I think that's pretty respectable," Cink said. "I'm proud of that."
South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout is among another group of six players on four under par, two shots off the lead.
