Stewart Cink Named As Final US Ryder Cup Vice Captain

The 2009 Open Champion is the final vice captain to be named in Zach Johnson's leadership group

Stewart Cink playing at the Open Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ed Carruthers
By Ed Carruthers
published

Stewart Cink had been named as the US Team's fifth vice captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup. 

The announcement was made by captain Zach Johnson on Monday and will be the first time that the American will attend the tournament in a leadership capacity. 

Cink played in five consecutive Ryder Cup teams between 2002 to 2010 and boasts a record of 5-7-7 having won the biennial event just once at Valhalla Golf Club in 2008.

The 50-year-old is currently plying his trade on the PGA Tour and also made his debut on the PGA Tour Champions earlier this year, notably hitting a hole-in-one at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. 

He'll join Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Fred Couples and Davis Love III, who have already been named as vice captains by Johnson for the match at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome which will commence on September 29. 

"Competing in the Ryder Cup has been one of the highlights of my entire career and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help Zach and the U.S. Team retain the Ryder Cup," Cink said. 

"I'm honored that Zach would entrust me to play a role in helping make that a reality in Italy."

Stewart Cink (right) shakes hands with Rory McIlroy (left) at the 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor.

Stewart Cink shakes hands with Rory McIlroy at the 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Cink has won eight times on the PGA Tour, with his last victory coming in 2021 at the RBC Heritage. He finished T23 at last month's Open, posting a score of 68 in his opening round.

"Stewart is someone I can trust will give me honest and constructive feedback as we head into the final stages of preparing for the Ryder Cup," said Johnson. 

"And as everyone saw at The Open Championship this year, he's still competing at a high level on the golf course. 

Stewart Cink (pictured) on Day one of the 2023 Open Championship.

Stewart Cink on Day one of the 2023 Open.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"He will play a critical role in our success as we head to Italy." 

While the US Team have won two of the last three Ryder Cups, they have not won on European soil since 1993, when Tom Watson's side triumphed at The Belfry. 

Ed Carruthers
Ed Carruthers
Writer

Ed has been playing golf for as long as he can remember and is obsessive about the sport. He is regularly sought after by family members and friends for advice on what equipment to buy and uses his background, having written extensively on golf in the past, to produce equipment orientated content for Golf Monthly.  

Having obtained a Masters in Law with Medicine from the University of Liverpool, Ed has recently changed paths into journalism and just last year achieved his NCTJ Sports Journalism Diploma with the Press Association. 

He has written for a variety of media outlets over the years and has interviewed some big names in sport, including Premier League managers, All Blacks Coaches and Grand Slam tennis superstars. He has also worked on some huge sporting events, including the 2021 Australian Open and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. And when he's not writing for Golf Monthly, you'll find him producing news and feature articles for the MailOnline's sports desk, where he covers everything from football to rugby union. 

During his weekends off, you'll likely find Ed heading out for a round at one of his local golf clubs with his friends, and was, up until recently, a member at the Leatherhead Golf Club in Surrey. Ed also plays the saxophone, can tell you some pretty terrible dad jokes and can knock up a very tasty carbonara!   

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