Cink hoping to end victory drought

2008-01-30

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By John Reger PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - While Tiger Woods blew away the field last week at the Buick Invitational, Stewart Cink continued to plod along without much fanfare.

Cink joined Woods as the only players to post three rounds in the 60s, but his solid performance was easily overshadowed by Woods' eight-shot victory.

The 34-year-old Cink finished third at 9-under - 10 shots behind Woods - but, as usual, the soft-spoken Alabama native didn't get much attention.

"I think recognition comes with wins, and I don't think I've had enough wins to garner the type of recognition that some of the other players have had," said Cink, who headlines the field for the FBR Open, which starts Thursday. "I've had a solid career, but as far as I'm concerned I don't think I've performed well enough in the win category."

Cink has been on three President's and Ryder Cup teams and has kept his PGA Tour card since earning it in 1997. However, he only has four victories, a paltry sum compared to contemporaries like Phil Mickelson, who has 32 and Jim Furyk, who has 13.

Some say Cink's quiet demeanor has hurt his reputation as a competitor It is something he disputes.

"Jim Furyk is a quiet guy and I don't think it has negatively affected him," said Cink, whose last win came at the NEC Invitational in 2004. "No, I really believe it is because I don't have that many wins. I think that is how you are judged and I think it is how you should be judged as a player out here."

Still, fiery players like Chris DiMarco and Rich Beem have fewer victories but seem to garner more publicity.

"You know, I've always admired the guys that are just week-in-and-week-out consistently up there," Durant said of Cink. "I think Stewart plays much more solidly than I do, especially in the bigger events."

Since his rookie season of 1997, Cink has had at least one finish of fifth or better every year and never has been lower than 73rd on the money list.

In addition, Cink has won $1 million or more in nine of 13 seasons, pushing his career earnings past $21 million.

However, there is another number that haunts him - 14, which is how many times he has finished second or third in a PGA Tour event.

Occasionally, he played well on Sunday to jump up the leaderboard. Other times, however, he was in position to win a tournament and failed to come through.

His biggest disappointment was probably the 2000 Colonial, two days before his 27th birthday. He had a four-shot lead going into the final day but bogeyed five of his final 14 holes and watched helplessly as Mickelson came from behind to win.

"I haven't capitalized on all the opportunities that I have had," Cink said. "There have been tournaments that I had the chance to win and I didn't. I would have liked to have taken those opportunities. I feel if I had this wouldn't be as big an issue."

His biggest wasted opportunity came on the 18th hole in the final round of the 2001 U.S. Open, when he had a putt of less than two feet for a bogey that could have forced a playoff.

But Cink, who thought he was out of contention, missed the short putt. Retief Goosen ultimately three-putted and had Cink made his tap-in, he would have been in a playoff with Goosen and Mark Brooks.

It has taken Cink a long time to recover from those emotional scars, but he remains hopeful that he has a few more wins in his future.

"I think I've still got some good years ahead of me," he said. "I'm 34. I think I've got a good 10 years ahead of me at least. I'd like to add to that total. That's one of my major focuses the upcoming couple years, to win more."

He was in the final group at the Buick Invitational but had no chance to win because Woods was so far ahead. Still, he wants to be in more pairings with the game's best player.

"I like playing with Tiger," Cink said. "I think playing with Tiger, it seems like you up your focus a little bit more and there's a lot more movement in the crowd, but that's typical.

"If you're playing in the later groups on the weekend, there's always going to be that extra little bit of movement and people. But playing with Tiger you have to ramp it up a little bit anyway. I enjoy playing with him, plus he's a good guy."

Cink thinks he might have learned something from playing with the game's premier player.

"I am really focused this year on winning," Cink said. "I always was, but I really want to keep my mind on being positive and aggressive. I think I used to slip in protection mode and that hurt me. That is not a way to win a golf tournament."