Cink to step away from golf as wife battles breast cancer

Cink says he's made some changes in his attitude on the course to make golf only part of his life. (Stew Milne/AP)

DULUTH, Ga. — Former British Open champion Stewart Cink says he is taking a break from golf after learning his wife has breast cancer.

Cink posted the news Tuesday on Twitter, saying the family is still in the process of figuring out "what she is fighting, and the uncertainty is difficult."

He prefaced the short statement on Twitter by saying that his wife, Lisa, has been his biggest supporter since he was 15 and "it’s now time for me to return the favour."

The statement says: "In order to assist Lisa in meeting the challenge, I will be stepping away from competitive golf until the circumstances improve for her. Hopefully that day will come quickly."

Cink’s biggest victory was the 2009 British Open when he beat Tom Watson in a playoff at Turnberry.

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.