Wife ill, Stewart Cink taking leave from tour

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that former Georgia Tech golfer Stewart Cink will take an indefinite leave of absence from the tour.

The decision comes in the aftermath of a breast-cancer diagnosis his wife, Lisa, received.

In a news release, Cink said: “Last week my wife, Lisa, and I received some unfortunate news. Lisa has been diagnosed with breast cancer — a startling and unexpected revelation for everyone in our family. We are still in the process of figuring out exactly what she is fighting, and the uncertainty continues to be very difficult. However, we serve a great God, and our friends and family have been and will be by her side every step of the way.

“In order to assist Lisa in meeting this challenge, I will be stepping away from competitive golf until circumstances improve for her. Hopefully that day will come quickly. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward.”

Cink, a Duluth resident who won the 2009 British Open and has been a member of four U.S. Presidents Cup teams and five U.S. Ryder Cup teams, last month was elected to the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.

A three-time All-American at Tech (1993-95), Cink was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. In his final season for the Yellow Jackets, he won the Fred Haskins Award, given annually to the most outstanding Division I golfer.