Golf report: Cink aims for Tour Championship spot

By Stan Awtrey

For the AJC

Duluth’s Stewart Cink, who was named to his fifth Ryder Cup team on Tuesday, has placed himself in position to again qualify for the Tour Championship. Cink starts the third round of the playoffs at No. 35, five spots outside of the top 30 that qualify for the FedEx Cup finale at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club on Sept. 23-26.

Cink began the playoffs in 54th place and has moved up each week thanks to a tie for 15th at The Barclays and a tie for 18th at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the first two FedEx Cup playoff events. He begins the final week only 113 points out of the playoffs.

Kris Blanks of Warner Robins nearly played his way into this week’s BMW Championship. Blanks moved up 20 places by virtue of his tie for 22nd at the Deutsche Bank Championship, but was the odd man out at No. 71. Only the top 70 advanced to the third round of the playoffs. Blanks was doomed by missing the cut at The Barclays.

Other Georgians eliminated were Charles Howell III, Ryuji Imada, Davis Love III, Troy Matteson and Blake Adams.

Georgia PGA

Pinetree County Club in Kennesaw and the local golf community were stunned by the unexpected death of popular PGA professional Daryll Speegle. He began to feel ill on Sept. 2 and went home, where he suffered a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital. Speegle, 57, had been a member of the PGA of America since 1975. He won the 1989 Atlanta Open, but may have been best known as an instructor, having worked with Senior PGA Tour player Gibby Gilbert and 2008 Georgia player of the year Mark Strickland. ...

Craig Stevens, a PGA teaching professional at Steel Canyon Golf Club in Sandy Springs, won the Georgia PGA Section Championship at Sea Island’s Retreat Course.  Stevens, who also won the title in 2001, finished at 8-under 208 and beat 2005 champion Tim Weinhart of St. Marlo Golf Club in Duluth by three strokes. Stephen Keppler of Marietta Country Club and Jeff Hull of the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens tied for third at 4-under.

Nationwide Tour

Former Georgia star Kevin Kisner rallied to win the Mylan Classic, his first victory on the Nationwide Tour, and came closer to clinching his 2011 PGA Tour card. Kisner shot a bogey-free 67 in the final round, earned $108,000 and jumped to No. 14 on the money list. The top 25 earn automatic exemptions on the PGA Tour.

Kisner’s victory came the week after former Bulldog teammate Chris Kirk won in Knoxville. They became the first players from the same school to win in consecutive weeks since Franklin Langham and Ryuji Imada, two other Bulldogs, did it in 2004.

Etc.

FORE Georgia magazine and Razor Golf are giving away golf clubs. For the price of shipping and handling, readers can have their choice of a 27-degree Mutation hybrid or a 50-degree Attack wedge. The clubs are valued at $120 and the Mutation was voted best new product at the industry’s ING Conference. More information is available at golfforegeorgia.com. ...

Heritage Golf Links in Tucker has hired Burdette Hawkins as general manager, Eddie Halsell as golf professional and Chad Carroll as superintendent. ... Mike Evers is now general manager and director of golf at Southwind Golf Club in Fairburn.