Cink the unpopular champ

By Mark Garrod, Press Association Sport Golf Correspondent Last updated: 12th July 2010

It would have come as no surprise to hear Stewart Cink say "sorry" when he faced the world's golfing press with the Claret Jug on the table in front of him last July.

"Even though I ended up with the trophy, it was really the Tom Watson story the whole week," the 37-year-old American accepted, reflecting on his victory over his 59-year-old fellow countryman after their four extra holes at Turnberry.

"Once it became apparent that there was going to be a play-off and I was going to be playing against Tom Watson that's when the bizarre stuff really started to hit me a little bit.

"What? Tom Watson? You kidding me? I'm playing against Tom Watson, he's 59, he won his first major I think right around the time when I was born and he's been winning tournaments ever since.

"I knew that the people were really pulling for Tom to win. As a sports fan it was a tremendous story - maybe the biggest sports story in the last couple of generations.

"I was the one standing in the way of it."

But even if the crowd were against Cink the momentum was with him. He had birdied the final hole and Watson, needing a par to become the oldest major winner of all-time by 12 years, had bogeyed it.

It was then that the world number 33 boxed clever. While Watson went to start the play-off he went to the toilet.

"I didn't want to be on the tee standing there when he walked up. I wanted to be the last on the tee - I wanted him to hear some applause for me walking up there instead of the other way around.

"I didn't really have to go to the restroom, but I decided to go any way just take a few extra seconds.

"I made sure that I was focused and ready to go and vigilant. I was totally on task and, as it turned out, I played probably those holes better than any others the whole week."

Unknown to the public at the time, Cink had also remained calm during a rules inquiry right at the end of his final round.

"On the 17th green when I went to mark the ball, just as my coin went down and was almost touching the grass, the ball rolled about an inch.

"I called the referee over. He said 'if your coin is at the back of the ball or below, basically that means you're in the act of marking it and the ball hasn't moved, so you just replace it'.

"I did that and then walking over to the 18th tee he told me that they were just reviewing it on TV.

"I played the last hole and came in and signed my card and they said 'before you leave the trailer we're just letting you know we're still reviewing it.'

"Then after maybe 30 seconds they said everything is clear. We proceeded the right way and the video confirmed that and that was it."

One of the memorable things that followed his victory was when the manager of the Turnberry Hotel approached him and his wife.

"He said 'If it's okay with you we would like to move your stuff into the Cink Suite'.

"They had named it for me, thank goodness, and we got to spend the night in my own suite, which is probably something that will never happen again.

"You win a tournament and you get to stay in the suite that's named after you. That was really cool."

The first drink out of the Claret Jug when he returned home and held a party was Guinness.

"That was my choice. I reserved the right to make the first choice - I'm not a big drinker, but I do like Guinness.

"After that the second one to go in was the Coke my kids put in because we wouldn't let them drink beer or champagne.

"There's been Harp in there, there's been some wine in there. There was one point where I was thinking 'Is this a good idea?'

"It was a crowded bar on a Thursday night in a big city. You can imagine."

Cink's victory came eight years after he three-putted the last hole of the US Open for a double bogey six and lost by one.

It took a long while, but the embarrassment of that was swept aside by what happened in Ayrshire last summer - and who he beat.

"I would never have dreamed that I would go head-to-head against Tom Watson in a play-off for a major championship. That would be beyond even my mind's imagination capabilities."

He did, though, and as a result Cink can now play in The Open for over 20 more years.

Mark Garrod, Press Association Sport Golf Correspondent