Cink has become player to fear
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
KAPALUA, Maui — Fear is not a factor anymore for Stewart Cink.
If there were any self-doubts, Cink wiped it clean after a career year in 2004, winning twice and finishing fifth on the PGA Tour money list with $4.45 million in earnings.
Cink
Still, he's not among those players so well known that they can go just by their first names and be recognized — Vijay, Ernie, Tiger, Retief and Phil.
"I feel like I've got a lot of room to go still to catch up with those guys. But I'm working hard on it and I'm getting there. I'm closing the gap a bit, I think," said Cink, who is fast making a name for himself.
"I don't discount myself at all because I definitely have the ability to play with anybody. I believe I can win any tournament and play against any field."
He's working real hard to prove it to start off the new year.
Cink moved up the Mercedes Championships scoreboard yesterday by shooting a 6-under 67 for a 203 total to trail leader Vijay Singh by three strokes going into today's final round at the Plantation Course.
Not that he's keeping an eye on Singh, or Jonathan Kaye, in second at 201, or Ernie Els, third at 202.
"I have no control over Vijay at all. He's on a roll like probably only two or three guys in history have even been on. He's going to be tough to catch," Cink said. "All I can do is try to do my best in every shot ... Then all I can do is come in and say I've done my best."
It reflects a new inner calm for the 31-year-old Cink, who worked hard in tweaking his mental game as well as his swing.
"I've found a sort of peace out there playing that I never had been able to enjoy before," he said. "The key for me has been to understand where (fear's) coming from and why I feel fear on the golf course."
The new attitude is paying off on the golf course. He kept his mistakes to a minimum in yesterday's bogey-free round.
"The only thing I wish I could improve on is I've played some of the easier holes poorly," Cink said. "I've really let go on some of the easier par 4s like 12, 14. Some of the guys drive it to the green, I'm making pars. If I'm going to end up winning this tournament, I definitely need to take advantage of some of those holes."
Nowadays, winning a tournament has become part of his mindset.
"I'm aiming a little higher this year, winning, instead of just being in the top 10 in a tournament," Cink said.
"Winning breeds confidence. Right now, I'm pretty confident but I've only had two wins in the last 12 months. I'm hungry for more wins."
Starting here on Maui would be no ka oi, as far as Cink is concerned. He thinks winning the Mercedes Championships would come close to matching his biggest tour victory, the World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational, which he won last year.
"It would be close to that if not equal to it because the field here are prestigious winners," he said. "It would be a huge honor, and to get the year started off like that, knowing that I'm coming back here in a year, would be a huge, huge day for me."
Cink will be one of 24 players here entered in next week's Sony Open at the Waialae Country Club.
"I missed the cut every time. One of my major goals in '05 is making the cut in the Sony Open," Cink said.
"Just kidding. But me and Michelle Wie share something in common."
