Cink cards 23-under on final day to win 2026 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai

Partly cloudy skies and a balmy 83 degrees, with light to variable west-northwest winds from 3 to 8 mph, embraced Hualālai Golf Course in Ka‘upulehu, Kona, and graced the roster of golfers Saturday (Jan. 24) hitting the links for their third and final day of the 2026 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai.

Reigning Charles Schwab Cup winner and PGA TOUR Champions Player of the Year Stewart Cink matched the perfect weather conditions by shooting the lowest round of the day Saturday — a bogey-free score of 64.

It was Cink’s first win at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai on the Big Island, the season opener for the 28-event PGA TOUR Champions circuit in 2026.

The 52-year-old — who also on Saturday earned his fifth PGA TOUR Champions win — knew the golf course would yield if it wasn’t too windy.

“We had moderate at most winds, but I played really well today,” said Cink, who led the field in birdies with 24 and also tied for first place in driving distance at 312.2 yards during the tournament that started Jan. 22. “It was probably better than the other 2 days. Just never really sniffed any trouble and took advantage of some holes that were going to yield to us. I was really proud of the way I hung in there, stayed in the present and executed my process brilliantly and the ball liked it.”

He shot 23 under par Saturday, giving him a 3-day total score of 193 after a 66 and 63 on Thursday and Friday, respectively. His win also put $340,000 in his winner’s purse.

Cink is the first player to win back-to-back PGA TOUR Champions tournaments since Ángel Cabrera won the 2025 Regions Tradition and 2025 Senior PGA Championship.

He won the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship — the final event of the 2025 PGA TOUR Champions season — and now the 2026 season opener at Hualālai.

His total score of 193 also is his low 54-hole score in an individual stroke play event on PGA TOUR Champions. Cink’s previous low was 197, which he shot during the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

He was named the 2025 PGA TOUR Champions Player of the Year on Jan. 20, recieving the Jack Nicklaus Award, and is now the first Charles Schwab Cup leader of the 2026 season.

“I wanted to come out here this year and start hot and not work my way into the season,” Cink said, adding last year “kind of validates itself.”

He said you have to make a lot of birdies to win, and sometimes the first tournament of the year is not the easiest to do that, but he was able to last week.

“I’m not going to play for almost 2 months now, so it really meant a lot to come out here and play well,” Cink said. “Played really solid and I’m very pleased.”

Hualālai first-timer Cabrera finished the tournament as runner-up at 20 under par, closing with a 66 on Saturday and a $200,000 payout. Cabrera also tied with Cink in driving distance at 312.2 yards.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Retief Goosen, who placed third at Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai. He won $140,000, matching Cink for low round of the day Saturday at 64 and finishing at 18-under.

It was also Goosen’s fourth top 6 finish at Hualalai.

Three players finished tied for fourth place, each adding $98,667 to their wallet after shooting 17-under:

• Defending Hualālai champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els.
• 36-hole co-leader Freddie Jacobson, who made his Hualālai debut this year.
• Fellow Hualālai first-timer Thomas Bjørn.

Bernhard Langer carded a 68 on Saturday, tying tie for ninth place after the 3 days and shoot his age or better for the second consecutive day and 37th time overall on PGA TOUR Champions. The 68-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member is a three-time winner of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai — in 2009, 2014 and 2017.

Of other note: Jay Haas posted a final day score of 72 — or par for the 18-hole course — to tie for 24th and also card his age or better for the third consecutive day and 41st time overall on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit.

Round 3 scoring average on the 7,123-yard course was just less than 70, with the cumulative scoring average throughout the entire 3 days at just under 69.

Check out the PGA TOUR Champions leaderboard online.

News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.