Stewart Cink has no intention of letting Zach Johnson dictate his approach to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. The defending season-long champion knows his friend is closing in after a remarkable rookie campaign on PGA Tour Champions. However, Cink has made his position clear ahead of the Stifel Charity Classic.
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“Yes. Last year I made it a point to talk a lot about the goal to win the Charles Schwab Cup. This year I haven’t done quite as much as that, but I’ve been in the lead most of the year, and then Zach’s just been on a tear winning everything, and now he’s closed the gap where it’s a race. That’s great, I’m happy for Zach. He’s my good friend, and it’s his first year playing out here, so I think he’s happy with his decision to move over to PGA Tour Champions, certainly,” Cink said ahead of the Stifel Charity Classic.
He then went on to acknowledge that Johnson’s breakthrough debut season on the senior circuit would be good for the game. But that does not mean Johnson can take the cup without any competition.
“But I think it’s also good for the Tour and good for golf to have a good race at the top. I’m fully expecting Zach to play well and probably at least win a couple of these things, maybe one, but he’s going to have to beat me to do it, and it would be awesome if we came down to the wire,” Cink added.
The remarks set the tone for the opening event of the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, which begins Friday at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis. Cink enters the postseason atop the standings, with a reported 484,332-point advantage over Johnson, whose six victories have turned the season-long competition into a genuine battle.
Cink’s approach to the playoffs is straightforward. Rather than letting the standings dictate his decisions, the five-time winner this season wants to treat each event as an independent opportunity to win a trophy.
“I want to treat these like tournaments, not like a Schwab Cup standings race that ends in Phoenix,” the American professional explained. “I want to treat this Stifel Charity Classic like it’s its own event and try to win this.”
Cink acknowledged that although he is 53, he is only playing his second full season on PGA Tour Champions. Thus, leading the standings into the playoffs still presents a new challenge.
Last year, he had to make up ground during the postseason before ultimately winning both the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship tournament and the season-long Charles Schwab Cup. His Phoenix experience gives him confidence, but he knows defending his overall title will require a different approach this time.
Cink also made it clear he won’t let other players’ scores distract him from his own performance.
“I don’t avoid the scoreboards,” he said, explaining that he sees little benefit in dwelling on results he cannot control. “I’m pretty disciplined about controlling what I can control and letting everything else go.”
Zach Johnson has given Cink plenty of reasons to take the challenge seriously. In his first season on PGA Tour Champions, the former Masters and Open Championship winner has collected six victories. This includes a senior major at the Kaulig Companies Championship.
He won his latest title at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach in September. He carded a final-round 65 to secure his second consecutive victory. Johnson had also won the Sanford International the previous week.
Cink, meanwhile, has five wins, including two senior majors. His strong regular-season results have kept him ahead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings despite Johnson’s higher win total.
The difference highlights what makes this contest compelling. Johnson has won more often, but Cink’s two senior major victories and strong results across more starts have kept him atop the standings entering the postseason.
Their friendship, however, will do little to soften the competition over the next three events.
Cink’s warning comes with a reminder that Johnson has already demonstrated he can get the better of him when the two are competing for the same trophy.
At the Portugal Invitational in August, Johnson finished at 19 under par to win by two strokes over Cink. The victory brought both players to four wins at that stage of the season.
Their paths have continued to cross throughout the year. Cink finished second when Johnson won his PGA Tour Champions debut at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in March.
The competition has not diminished their relationship. Johnson previously described Cink as a confidant and great friend. He also added that their competition helps both players improve.
The Stifel Charity Classic, scheduled for October 23 to 25, 2026, carries a $2.3 million purse and marks the first of three events that will determine the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup champion.
The playoff format raises the stakes for both contenders. Earnings from all three postseason events count for double Charles Schwab Cup points. This gives players a chance to make significant gains in the closing weeks of the season.
After Stifel, the top 54 players in the standings will advance to the Simmons Bank Championship. After that event, the top 36 will move on to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix from November 12-15, 2026.
Cink is prepared for the challenge and has no intention of making it easy. With three events remaining and double points on offer, the defending champion says Johnson can chase him all the way to Phoenix, but he will have to earn every step of the way.