Cink had to scrub his game plan to tap his full potential

Published on Monday 20 July 2009 11:51

NEW Open champion Stewart Cink today recalled the day it dawned on him that he had to "scrap everything" in order to become a Major winner.

As the 36-year-old American savoured his play-off victory over Tom Watson at Turnberry, he talked openly about the changes he'd been forced to make to his game to shake off what some might have described as a 'journeyman' tag.

"Bad play precipitated the changes I made," said Cink after killing off what would have been one of the greatest sport's stories of all time if Watson had won his sixth Open a few months short of his 60th birthday.

"The second half of last year really stunk and, after spluttering at the start of this year, I took some time off before coming back in the Players' Championship.

"But, after shooting a 77 in the third round, I decided then that whatever I was doing wasn't working."

In particular, Cink was alarmed about his putting and he decided to ditch the long putter he'd been using for some time.

"When I putt poorly it affects the rest of my game," added the four-time Ryder Cup player. "So I decided to totally overhaul my putting and it started with the removal of the long putter.

"I thought if I stayed with that it would be too easy for me to fall back into the old, warm and fuzzy feelings. So I decided to scrap everything and start over with the short putter.

"I needed to change my mental outlook, too, because I really didn't have much of a pre-shot routine and I needed to get something more regimented."

Cink is coached by Butch Harmon, who used to work with Tiger Woods, but revealed that he didn't have to change too much as far as his swing was concerned.

"I'm always tinkering with my swing but I don't have the kind of golf game where I have to be dead on mechanically to play well," said Cink, who closed with a one-under 69 to force the play-off with Watson before beating his compatriot by six shots in the shoot-out as Watson eventually ran out of steam. "I play a lot of feel-type shots – it's a kinda gut instinct golf I play. I don't have the flashiest short game and I'm not a bomber. I just play golf how I find it."

According to Cink, he knew the changes were going to stand him in good stead for Turnberry when his confidence started to return in some recent PGA Tour events, one of which was a top-ten finish in The Memorial.

"I actually believed I could win this tournament (The Open) at the start of the final day," he declared. "Yet, a few months ago, I probably wouldn't have believed that."

Cink, who had come close to winning the US Open in 2001 – he double-bogeyed the last to lose out to Retief Goosen – will definitely prepare for his defence of the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 12 months' time by heading for some links practice in Ireland, having felt he benefitted from such a trip on this excursion across the Atlantic.

"I played at Lahinch, Ballybunion and Doonbeg and they were all fantastic," he said. "The only other time I've come over early and played links golf in preparation for The Open was in 2007, when I finished sixth at Carnoustie."

Along with nearly 25,000 spectators, Cink admitted he symphatised with Watson, paying tribute to the man from Kansas for the way he had performed over four fabulous days on the Ayrshire coast.

"Not only did he (Watson) show how great a golfer he is but he also showed what a great game we all play, the longevity that can exist in golf," said the champion. "We thought Jack Nicklaus had hung the moon when he won The Masters at 46. This is 13 years on from that. So it just says a lot about golf." While he was left disappointed on this occasion, Watson, who now heads for this week's Seniors' British Open at Sunningdale, is convinced that he can make his presence felt again over the Old Course next July.

"I feel like I can play St Andrews," he said. "I still have some of the shots to be able to play that course so we'll just have to wait and see."

Justin Leonard, who lifted the Claret Jug a few miles up the coast at Troon in 1997, was among the first to congratulate Cink, having gone out on to the course himself to watch the play-off.

"I'd imagine it means an awful lot to Stewart and this is probably an overdue 'Major' success for him," commented the American.

For Peter Dawson, the R&A Chief Executive, The Open's return to Turnberry after an absence of 15 years was a huge success despite the fact the fans had desperately wanted to see Watson become the oldest-ever champion.

"In a way, it's many congratulations to Stewart but equal sympathy to Tom, whose contribution to this championship was stunning, just stunning," said Dawson. "Stewart has been a very good player for a long, long time and is a very worthy champion. He played very good golf but the crowd sympathy is obviously with Tom.

"We all thought he was going to do it, to be honest with you. But it's been a cracking championship and we are very pleased with it.

"Tom's little failure at the 72nd hole flattened us down a bit but we'll bounce back from it."

In his final Open before retiring, Turnberry course manager George Brown reckoned Cink wasn't the only winner at the end of it.

"I think the course was another winner," he beamed. "The weather wasn't severe – in fact, it was balmy calm one day – so to finish up two-under tells you everything you need to know about the challenge this course provides."

Stewart Selbie, Turnberry's General Manager, added: "Everything has been fantastic and we're delighted with the way it went. We will definitely make sure we get it back quicker than the last time."

FINAL TOTALS FROM TURNBERRY

THE 138th Open Championship, The Ailsa Championship Course, Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland (Gbr & Irl unless stated)

(x) denotes amateurs, Par 70)

278: Stewart Cink (USA) 66 72 71 69 (Stewart Cink won the 4 hole play-off), Tom Watson (USA) 65 70 71 72

279: Chris Wood 70 70 72 67, Lee Westwood 68 70 70 71

280: Retief Goosen (Rsa) 67 70 71 72, Luke Donald 71 72 70 67

281: Richard S Johnson (Swe) 70 72 69 70, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 71 72 69 69, Justin Leonard (USA) 70 70 73 68, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 66 72 69 73, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 72 72 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 68 72 74 67

282: Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 70 71 70, Ross Fisher 69 68 70 75, Jeff Overton (USA) 70 69 76 67, Metteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70 72 69, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 72 69 72, Justin Rose 69 72 71 70, Andres Romero (Arg) 68 74 73 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 64 73 76 69, Boo Weekley (USA) 67 72 72 71, Camilo Villegas (Col) 66 73 73 70, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 71 70 71 70

283: Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 71 72 70, Oliver Wilson 72 70 71 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 69 70 72 72

284: John Daly (USA) 68 72 72 72, Nick Watney (USA) 71 72 71 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 76 71 69, James Kingston (Rsa) 67 71 74 72, Mark Calcavecchia (USA) 67 69 77 71, Davis Love III (USA) 69 73 73 69, Kenichi Kuboya (Jpn) 65 72 75 72

285: Jim Furyk (USA) 67 72 70 76, Graeme McDowell 68 73 71 73, Martin Kaymer (Den) 69 70 74 72, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 67 73 75 70

286: Steve Marino (USA) 67 68 76 75, Vijay Singh (Fij) 67 70 75 74, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 69 76 71, Nick Dougherty 70 70 73 73, Thomas Levet (Fra) 71 73 71 71

287: Bryce Molder (USA) 70 73 67 77, Anthony Wall 68 72 75 72, Branden Grace (Rsa) 67 72 73 75, Paul McGinley 71 71 70 75

288: Rory McIlroy 69 74 74 71, Zach Johnson (USA) 70 71 77 70, Paul Lawrie 71 73 76 68, Paul Casey 68 76 74 70, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 69 72 73 74

289: Steve Stricker (USA) 66 77 70 76, David Howell 68 73 72 76, Billy Mayfair (USA) 69 73 73 74, Darren Clarke 71 71 78 69, Johan Edfors (Swe) 71 73 72 73, Graeme Storm 72 72 74 71, Kenny Perry (USA) 71 72 75 71, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 74 73 72

290: David Drysdale 69 73 75 73, Kevin Sutherland (USA) 69 73 73 75, Tom Lehman (USA) 68 74 74 74, Paul Broadhurst 70 72 74 74

291: Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 74 69 79 69

292: Sean O'Hair (USA) 68 75 75 74, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 72 76 73, Padraig Harrington 69 74 76 73, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 71 70 78 73

293: J.B. Holmes (USA) 68 70 75 80

295: Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 70 72 77 76, Mark O'Meara (USA) 67 77 77 74

303: Paul Goydos (USA) 72 72 77 82

304: Daniel Gaunt (Aus) 76 67 79 82