Two years ago, Stewart Cink was our very first guest. Now he’s back to celebrate The Cart Barn’s anniversary, talk grandkids, his six win season, and the phone notes that are running his golf game.
Full description / show notes
Two years ago, Stewart Cink sat down for the very first episode of The Cart Barn Podcast. Now he’s back to help us celebrate our second birthday, and he brought a lot to talk about.
The 2001 U.S. Open champion and six time winner on the PGA Tour Champions this season opens up about becoming a full time grandpa between tournaments, the actual notes app on his phone he’s used since winning at Safeway in 2020 to track swing feels, ball position, and even Bible verses, and the detailed par 3 strategy he built with caddie Chris Jones to become one of the best on tour at the shortest holes. He also breaks down the two wayward tee shots that almost cost him win number 18, why hybrids replaced his long irons, and what it’s really like sharing a fairway with Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Plus, in our rapid fire round, Stewart names his favorite course to play for fun (a hidden Harry Colt gem in Chicago), his favorite golf course architects working today, and the golden age designer he thinks doesn’t get enough credit.
What’s inside this episode:
 0:00 Welcome back to our inaugural guest for the 2 year anniversary
 1:02 Life since the Regions Tradition, and full time grandparenting on the road
 5:38 Family update: his dad’s recovery from a broken ankle
 8:35 The notes app he’s kept since his 2020 Safeway win, and why it works
 14:18 Bible verses, caddie Chris Jones, and the par 3 system built to win stats
 20:39 Ball position, alignment sticks, and fixing what you can’t feel
 24:19 The physics behind more distance: launch angle over spin
 27:06 How he almost blew win number 18 on a 100 yard wide fairway
 31:37 Marveling at Jimenez, Langer, and Couples still winning in their 60s
 35:06 Why hybrids replaced his long irons
 42:35 The rest of his 2026 schedule and why he skips certain events
 50:25 Rapid fire: favorite course, favorite modern and golden age designers, and his go to Bible verse
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