In an interesting turn of events, Stewart Cink is tied for the lead at the 2024 Valspar Championship. The golfer has had a roller-coaster season so far where he has missed cuts in a couple of events and even finished at T5 (Sony Open) and T7 (Cologuard Classic). As a 50-year-old, he is giving a fiery competition to his young counterparts. The English golfer carded a round of 66 on Friday and jumped 27 places to be at the top of the leaderboard. It is indeed an immense feat for the golfer, and he sure has to thank his support system for the same.
Behind his recent rise, though his skills are to be attributed, his bagman should not be left alone. The caddie-golfer relationship had also been a family affair for the golfer, as his wife, Lisa Cink, and one of his sons, Reagan, had previously caddied for him. However, at the Valspar Championship, Chris P. Jones, a caddie with 21 years of experience, is assisting Cink to clench the victory.
When did Chris P. Jones start caddying?
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Chris P. Jones is from Watchung, New Jersey. He is a veteran caddie who attended Watchung Hills Regional High School and graduated in 1995. Jones then studied at Lynn University and, surprisingly, never played golf in college, but instead played baseball.
Jones started his caddying journey in 2003, a few years after leaving college, as he shared in an interview with the Caddie Network. Over the past two decades, he has caddied for many golfers including the likes of Hunter Mahan, Kevin Na, Will Zalatoris, and Mark Wilson.
Out of all the pros, Jones has caddied for Wilson for the longest. He and Wilson worked together for 11 years, and per Jones, the highlight of his caddying career had been “caddying for five Tour wins with Mark Wilson” and “never missing a tournament that he played in during those 11 years,” he said.
Apr 16, 2021; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Stewart Cink hits out of the bunker on the ninth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Jones’s favorite part about his job is “meeting different people all around the world & traveling.” Though golf is now Jones’s full-time profession, he has many interests outside the field and likes to indulge in them as and when he gets time.
The intriguing hobbies of Chris P. Jones
Other than golf, Jones also loves to go snowboarding and paddleboarding. He has many nicknames, such as ChrisP, Crispy, or Chris P. He narrated the story behind the names and said, “It comes from my middle name, Paul, and I got it while working at the ski/snowboard shop at Squaw Valley in Tahoe in the winter of ’97/’98.”
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Additionally, he has a soft spot for live music and concerts, particularly by Dead Head and his inspiration, Jerry Garcia. And the list of his hobbies does not stop there. He is also a foodie and has a special place for Thai cuisine in his heart, though his favorite restaurant is Betos Mexican in Texas. He likes to watch movies as well, and his favorite movie is Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He supports the New York Yankees.
For golf, his favorite course to caddy at is Harbor Town Hilton Head, and to play as a golfer with a handicap of 6, it is Ballyneal GC Colorado. Whenever he is traveling for his job, he likes to resort to healthy eating and prefers Whole Foods. With Cink, Jones has only played two events in the 2024 season. The two were first paired at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where Cink closed out at T24. Now, as her wife, Lisa Cink, is not caddying for him anymore, Jones will be the one accompanying him on the greens.
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Will the duo earn their first victory together at the Valspar Championship? That shall remain to be seen!
Read More: Why Is the 2024 Valspar Championship Slowly Turning a Nightmare for the PGA Tour?