Cink welcomes calm week after stressful Masters
April 14, 2010
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP)—Stewart Cink welcomes the calm sea breezes andeasy island atmosphere of the Verizon Heritage, the “anti-Augusta.”
Gone for Cink are the glasstop greens, cagey fades and daunting carries ofthe Masters. Gone, too, at Harbour Town Golf Links is much of the hoopla overTiger Woods.
“It’s like the anti-Augusta,” Cink said.
One look at the field shows that. Woods and Masters champion Phil Mickelsontook the week off. Second and third place finishers Lee Westwood and Anthony Kimare also on break.
In fact, just six of last week’s top 23 at Augusta National—K.J. Choi,Ricky Barnes, Jerry Kelly, Trevor Immelman, Heath Slocum and Scott Verplank—plan to tee it up Thursday at Harbour Town Golf Links.
Cink, who won the Verizon Heritage in 2000 and 2004, acknowledged Woods’return after five, scandal-plagued months was topic No. 1 for Masters’competitors. Cink figured anxious crowds pressing to watch Woods might lead todistractions on the course.
Instead, Cink said the tournament was about what it always is: Augusta’sdifficulty.
“I was expecting a raucous environment because everyone was going to beshuffling around,” he said. But “it didn’t feel any different to me. Thecrowds were very respectful and it seemed like the Masters as usual.”
That’s not always a good thing for Cink, who missed the cut at Augusta forthe second straight year. The reigning British Open champ has had just two top10 finishes in 13 appearances at the year’s first major.
Cink thinks that’s why he excels at Harbour Town. He’s earned more than $1.8million—third all-time—since he took his Verizon Heritage debut 10 yearsago.
“When you gear up and play a major like Augusta or any of the bigtournaments, it makes it a bit more relaxing and easier the next week becauseyour game is already prepared,” he said.
Matt Kuchar’s not so certain. Locked into the marquee group with Woods theMasters’ first two rounds, Kuchar felt drained by Augusta’s end. The fatiguecontinued on Wednesday’s pro-am when the smiling Kuchar said his main goal wasan afternoon nap.
Playing with Woods “was not as crazy as I thought,” Kuchar said.
The biggest drawback, Kuchar said, was family members in town for his firstMasters’ appearance in eight years were caught in Woods’ gallery.
“It was cool to be a part of. Maybe there were some extra highs,” Kucharsaid. “After some extra highs come a few lows probably.”
Defending Verizon Heritage winner Brian Gay was also pleased to have AugustaNational behind him. Gay struggled at his first Masters, shooting 74-77 to missthe cut.
“I think there’s a lot to learn there, a lot of experience and courseknowledge, guys playing there year after year,” he said. “So that was achallenge.”
Gay has few such concerns about Harbour Town where he put on a dominatingperformance in 2009, winning by 10 strokes over Briny Baird and Luke Donald inwhat was the tour’s biggest margin of victory on tour in three years.
“Guys say stuff to me, ‘How did you do that? Won by ten, that’sunbelievable,”’ Gay said. “It’s cool to hear that stuff.”
About the only thing missing from last week’s Masters’ circus was the game’sclown prince, Boo Weekley. After playing at Augusta National the previous twoyears as Harbour Town’s champion, Weekley didn’t qualify for the major afterdealing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder midway through last season.
Weekley hasn’t finished better than 24th in nine events this year.
“If your game is off or not, you still want to be there,” Weekley said.“It only takes one swing or one putt, and all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Click,’like a light bulb.”
Weekley hopes that light switch turns on at the Verizon Heritage, where he’sshot par or better in 11 of his 12 career rounds.
“I’ve got a little itch,” Weekley said. “I’m ready to get out there andget back.”
Cink understands that, too, eager for pressure-free golf.
The majors combine the game’s most challenging courses, it’s bestcompetitors and a heightened mental regimen unseen most weeks on tour.
At Harbour Town, “the intensity just seems to melt away and enables you toreally relax and be at your best,” Cink said. “That’s the way I see it.”
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