It was an exciting and memorable week of golf March 22-29 during the 2026 Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.
The popular PGA TOUR Champions event, with Hoag as title sponsor and McCarthy Building Companies as presenting partner, once again saw a standout field of PGA TOUR Champions stars competed for the $2.2 million purse, showcasing a mix of legendary names and proven champions. Among those in contention throughout the week were Ernie Els, Zach Johnson, Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh, John Daly, Retief Goosen, and Darren Clarke.
Once players completed their rounds, one person came out on top: Stewart Cink, 52, whose performance over the weekend will be remembered as one of the most remarkable in tournament history.
On Saturday, with the tournament tightly contested, Cink used a six iron on the 18th hole and from 205 yards away hit the ball into the cup for an albatross, which shifted the momentum of the game.
Cink protected his lead on Sunday and finished at 19-under-par to secure his victory.
“That was an awesome moment to finish the round,” said Cink. “I played great that round and then boom, to do that right there, that was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever been a part of in golf. I was so happy that happened. Right here, the stands were full, it was quite a great atmosphere out here all week really, but that moment was so cool.”
Cink noted that the tournament means a lot because he knows what Hoag does and how much they mean to the community.
“The medical side of life has affected our family personally, so it just means a lot that a hospital system like Hoag would get behind golf. In turn, golf kind of gets behind it. We all love to play good golf, and we all love to compete in front of the fans.”
According to Cink, he’s playing better and has more control over his ball than he’s ever had.
“I’ve worked my tail off to try to get there, and learned about what my swing does, my body, the dynamics, the psychology, the equipment, everything,” he said. “I’ve left no stone unturned just for this type of moment where I can come out here and, I wouldn’t say run away with it, but the last couple holes weren’t that hard because number one, I had done a lot of good work up until No. 17, and then I had a lot of good stuff in the tank for those last two holes.”
Cink earned a four-shot win on 19-under 194, just a shot off tying the tournament record. Cink took home $330,000 for his win.
Zach Johnson and Ernie Els finished with a share of second place on 15-under total in the 54-hole event. They each pocketed $176,000.
In addition to the TOUR Champions, the week began with Athletes First Celebrity Waiter Night, presented by Pacific Life, benefiting Hoag Hospital Foundation, and the Pacific Life Celebrity Classic. Then Ravens LB Kyle Van Noy and Kansas City QB Jake Haener captured the 2026 Pacific Life Celebrity Classic title, earning bragging rights among a field of high-profile athletes and celebrities.
The week also featured the Hoag Classic Hall of Fame Community Breakfast presented by Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which included Bernhard Langer as the guest of honor and recognized longtime volunteer Dick Yuhnke for his nearly three decades of service to the tournament.
The Aston Martin Newport Beach Legends Pro-Am gave fans an early opportunity to see the PGA TOUR Champion pros up close before the championship rounds began.
The Hoag Classic weekend featured several fan-favorite experiences including Motive Salute to Service Saturday, benefiting Folds of Honor; Student Day presented by Kingston Technology; and the Chipotle Sunset Celebration & Concert.
“Each year the Hoag Classic brings together world-class golf, incredible community support and a shared commitment to giving back,” said Andrew Guarni, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hoag. “We are grateful to the players, partners, volunteers and fans who make this tournament such a special week while helping support Hoag’s mission to continue expanding access to renowned health care in our community.”
As one of the most successful charitable tournaments on the PGA TOUR Champions, the Hoag Classic has generated more than $25 million in support of Hoag programs and services, as well as local military, first responder and educational organizations.
Visit https://hoagclassic.com for more information.
