An eagle on the par-5 sixth helped power Stewart Cink’s third round at Scioto Country Club on Saturday, pushing the the 2009 Open Championship winner back up the leaderboard in Columbus, Ohio.
Cink, who shared the 18-hole lead with Charlie Wi, carries a one-shot advantage over defending champion Padraig Harrington entering the final round of the U.S. Senior Open after carding a bogey-free, 6-under 64 on Moving Day.
Third-round play was moved up due to inclement weather and Sunday’s final round will also be impacted, with play running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Nothing seems to be getting in the way of Cink, though. The 53 year-old is on a quest to become the first player to win the first three majors of a PGA Tour Champions season after knocking off Ben Crane at the Senior PGA Championship by six strokes and capturing the Regions Tradition over Scott Hend by three shots in May.
A win at Scioto might not come as easy, given the course’s difficult playing conditions and Harrington’s history. While Cink’s eight wins on the PGA Tour Champions over the last two years are impressive, Harrington is eying a third U.S. Senior title after wins in 2022 and 2025.
And last year’s came over Cink — by a stroke.
However, close margins have not exactly favored Harrington on the senior tour. He has 11 wins but is 0-4 in playoffs, most recently losing to Dicky Pride at the Dick’s Open a week ago.
Whatever comes Sunday, Cink said he’s looking forward to the test.
“We got a storm that’s pretty close right now, and if that storm comes over here and dumps a half an inch of rain on this golf course it’s going to be a completely different test,” he told reporters Saturday.
“I don’t think it would be smart to formulate any kind of a score plan right now,” he added. “The biggest thing is just control what I can control, maintain that commitment level and see if I can just execute as cleanly and as decisively as possible tomorrow.”
Cink vs. Harrington: Round ✌️
— USGA (@USGA) July 4, 2026
One year after Padraig Harrington got the better of Stewart Cink by a stroke, Cink takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the U.S. Senior Open. pic.twitter.com/KjK6SkYsLb
Cink, who’s 64 is the lowest round of the week, said he’s prepared to shoot whatever it takes to win.
“My mantra is, ‘I have to be willing to accept.’ That’s the only way I can free myself up,” he explained. “If it’s 73, I’ll be happy with a 73. If it’s 63, I’ll be happy with a 63.”
“The other guys, can’t control anything about what they do,” said Cink, who is one of eight players to win the year’s first two senior major championships. “This is a really great tournament and means a lot to me, like everyone else. Tomorrow is going to be a big challenge.”
Rest of leaderboard
Still in contention at Scioto entering the final round are 36-hole leader George McNeill and three-time senior major winner Miguel Angel Jimenez.
McNeill and Jimenez are third and fourth on the leaderboard, respectively. McNeill is two shots behind Cink and Jimenez three entering Sunday.
Darren Clarke and Paul Stankowski are T-5 at 3 under through 54 holes.
“If you take a look at the guys in front of me, they’re all champions,” Clarke told reporters. “They’re all proper, proper players, so I’m going to have to go even go lower tomorrow again. I’m just pleased I hit the ball better than I had the first two days. ... It’s just nice to strike the ball well and give myself a few chances and shoot a good score.”