Stewart Cink shot his second straight 7-under 65 on Friday at the Regions Tradition, moving to a two-stroke lead after two rounds and putting himself on track to win consecutive senior major titles.
The 52-year-old, who won the Senior PGA Championship two weeks ago in Florida, made eight birdies and one bogey at Greystone Golf & Country Club to keep control of a leaderboard that tightened behind him. Charlie Wi moved into second after a 66, while Alex Cejka, who began the day tied with Cink for the lead, slipped into a tie for third after a 68. Retief Goosen matched Cink with a 65 to join Cejka at 11 under, and Thongchai Jaidee’s 66 also left him tied for third.
Cink said he executed some nice shots and called the round steady rather than spectacular, adding that a long putt on 17 and a series of simple birdies and up-and-downs made for a clean day. He said the rest of the weekend will bring family and friends from north and central Alabama, and he hoped to give them something to cheer about.
The result fits the pace Cink has set across 2026, when he opened with a win in Hawaii at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship and then added victories in the Hoag Classic and the Senior PGA Championship in consecutive starts. He now owns seven career senior titles and eight PGA TOUR wins, including the 2009 Open Championship playoff victory over Tom Watson, and the Regions Tradition gives him another chance to extend a run that has already become one of the season’s defining stories.
Wi said the day was a pleasant surprise after he ran off five straight birdies to open the round, though he also admitted the two bogeys took a little shine off the finish. Defending champion Ángel Cabrera, meanwhile, was tied for 20th at 5 under after rounds of 72 and 67, leaving him well back of the pace as Cink heads into the weekend with the lead and the field still in sight.
