GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) — Stewart Cink successfully defended his title in The Ally Challenge for his second PGA TOUR Champions victory of the year, beating Ernie Els with a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday.

Cink closed with a 4-under 68, birdieing two of the last three holes, to match Els at 15-under 201 at Warwick Hills. Els parred the final five holes in a 69.

The 52-year-old Cink won the Insperity Invitational in May in Texas, beating Retief Goosen in a playoff. He won eight times on the PGA TOUR, topped by The Open Championship in 2009.

Cink opened with a 62 and shot a 71 on Friday to enter the final round a stroke behind Els.

Steven Alker (65), Cameron Percy (70) and Søren Kjeldsen (70) tied for third at 12 under. Goosen (71) and Thongchai Jaidee (69) were 11 under.

Things to know

• Trailing by two strokes with three holes remaining, defending champion Stewart Cink closed birdie-birdie-par to force a playoff against 36-hole leader Ernie Els.
• Cink made par on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to defeat the World Golf Hall of Fame member. It was the first playoff in the eight-year history of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren.

Stewart Cink, 62-71-68 – 201 (-15)

• The 52-year-old earned his third win on PGA TOUR Champions (29 starts)
  • 2024 Ally Challenge
  • 2025 Insperity Invitational
  • 2025 Ally Challenge
• Earned his second win of the 2025 season (14 starts)
  • Previous win: Insperity Invitational (May 2-4)
  • Remains No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings
• Becomes the fifth multiple winner of the 2025 season, joining Miguel Angel Jiménez (4), Ángel Cabrera (3), Steve Allan (3) and Padraig Harrington (2)
• This was his fourth consecutive top-three finish of the season
  • Previous three results: third (Kaulig Companies Championship), second (U.S. Senior Open), second (Boeing Classic)
• Becomes the first multi-time winner of The Ally Challenge (second start)
  • Cink’s position by round at this event (chronologically): T2-1st-Won-1st-2nd-Won
• This is the first successful title defense of the 2025 season on PGA TOUR Champions
  • Last successful title defense: Steve Stricker (2024 Sanford International)
  • Previous best finish by a defending champion in 2025: T5 (Steven Alker at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai)
• Improved to 1-for-4 when playing in the last group of the final round in 2025
  • Cologuard Classic (finished T8)
  • U.S. Senior Open (finished second)
  • Boeing Classic (finished second)
  • The Ally Challenge (won)
• Led the field in driving distance (319.2 yards) and ranked 77th (out of 78) in driving accuracy (11-of-42)

Other notes

• Thirty-six-hole leader Ernie Els finished runner-up at 15-under after closing with bogey-free 69. The World Golf Hall of Fame member earned his eighth top-5 finish of the 2025 season (18 starts) and moves up to No. 5 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
• Steven Alker matched the low round of the day (65) to finish T3 at 12-under. It was his sixth top-three finish of the 2025 season (16 starts) as he remains No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
• The medalists from the two most recent stagings of Q-School (Final Stage), Søren Kjeldsen and Cameron Percy, each finished T3 at 12-under. Kjeldsen won Q-School in December 2024 and Percy won Q-School in December 2023.
• Boo Weekley (T32) made a hole-in-one on No. 8 with a 6-iron from 192 yards.