Stewart Cink flew back to the United States yesterday not only clutching the Claret Jug, but also with a label that will follow him wherever he goes.
Stewart Cink flew back to the United States yesterday not only clutching the Claret Jug, but also with a label that will follow him wherever he goes.
The new Open champion will forever more be known as the man who stopped 59-year-old Tom Watson creating history.
Cink admitted to "mixed feelings" about crushing Watson's dream of becoming easily the oldest major winner in history and equalling Harry Vardon's six Open victories a record set in 1914.
But the 36-year-old had his own agenda, of course. For eight years he had wanted to bury the memory of what happened to him at the 2001 US Open.
Battling with Retief Goosen and Mark Brooks at Southern Hills, Cink missed an 18-inch tap-in on the final green that he thought did not matter, but which mattered enormously when Goosen then three-putted from 12 feet.
"It wouldn't be human to not wonder if that was going to be my closest one," said Cink.
"There were always some doubts there and it lingered a little bit it was embarrassing.
"That's golf. You put yourself out there in front of the world stage and sometimes you're going to be embarrassed a little bit.
"Now hopefully I can move past it. I've had a couple of wins since then, but this is a new chapter for me."
Cink, a member of the last four Ryder Cup sides, will have only three weeks to wait for full realisation of what he achieved at Turnberry.
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