Ireland the crucial link in Cink’s glory drive
Cink described as “perfect preparation” a week spent in Ireland prior to capturing his first Major championship at the age of 36 on Sunday evening.
During his stay here, he filled his Twitter page with golfing and non-golfing items. The ferry from Killimer to Tarbert was note as “Ireland’s version of a bridge” complete with suitable photograph and it obvious the new Open champion, his wife Lisa and children Connor and Reagan had a wonderful time here. I caught up with Connor on Sunday and I asked which of the three courses he played, Doonbeg, Lahinch and Ballybunion, he liked best.
He gave his vote to Ballybunion “maybe because I played best there but I also thought it had the best features”.
The good news is that the Cink family also came to Ireland in the week preceding the 2007 Open and on that occasion played the European Club at Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow; Co Louth at Baltray and Carne near Belmullet. There was a lot of travel involved on that trip though it had the desired effect for Cink who went on to tie 6th at Carnoustie.
This time, it was slightly less demanding in terms of time and travel.
“We played at Lahinch, Ballybunion and stayed at Doonbeg and all of them were fantastic,” said Cink. “The only other time I’ve ever come over early and played links golf in preparation for the Open was in 2007 and I went well at Carnoustie so I think there is a correlation. I think I will be going to play links golf before the Open again next year”.
There was a time when top Americans used to come here on a regular basis to play our great links courses. Ironically, it was Tom Watson who led the vanguard from across the Atlantic with his friend, Sandy Tatum, in 1981.
Tatum, a senior executive of the USGA, advised Watson about a wonderful links in a remote part of Ireland that he should go and play. Watson was then a massive name and as he was essentially on holiday, he asked if news of his visit to Ballybunion could be kept quiet. Keen efforts, led by the irrepressible, club secretary the late Sean Walsh, were made to do so. However close on 1,000 people had a fantastic time swarming over the dunes to watch Watson play the links for the first time!
Presentations were made and glasses of Irish whiskey consumed during and after the golf and Watson’s love affair with Ballybunion was underway. He came back year after year and as he did so, other superstars like Jack Nicklaus began to make the pilgrimage.
Ballybunion’s place on the golfing map, especially for Americans was secure. In subsequent years Tiger Woods, David Duval, the late Payne Stewart, Mark O’Meara, Rocco Mediate and countless others made regular visits to the likes of Ballybunion, Waterville, the Old Head, Portmarnock, the European, Royal Co Down, Royal Portrush, Rosses Point and.
Woods and his entourage made The K Club their base, others were happier with less palatial surroundings but all had a great time and provided golf tourism in this country with a massive boost.
Sadly the American pros don’t come in such large numbers any more ahead of the Open, mainly because most like to play events on their domestic circuit before heading for Britain. There’s a lot of money and points at stake over there and that is perfectly understandable but now that Stewart Cink has benefited so massively from his visit to Ireland, there has to be a loud message there for others whose aim is to follow in his footsteps.
And it could well prove a fertile area for Ms McCreevy and here Fáilte Ireland colleagues to explore and exploit.
Cink faced one of the dilemmas on Sunday that Pádraig Harrington had to deal with 12 months earlier. Cink and Harrington found themselves going head to head with legends of the game, Greg Norman and Tom Watson, knowing that the public would be rooting for the older men. Harrington knew he had to eliminate all sentimentality if he was to beat the “Great White Shark” and did so in a firm but courteous manner.
Whereas Harrington played the final 18 with Norman, the difference Sunday was that Stewart only came up against Watson in the four hole play-off. There couldn’t have been any doubt that he would be the party pooper supreme if he were to deprive Watson of the title seven weeks short of his 60th birthday but again he had to banish such thoughts
“It actually cleared the waters a little bit for me because it’s not the first time I’ve been in that situation”, Cink explained. “I’ve played plenty of times with Tiger and hearing the Tiger roars and those for Mickelson. I’m usually the guy the crowd appreciates but they’re not behind me 100% of the way.
“So that’s the sort of role I’ve been cast into for my whole career. And, hey, it’s not the worst. More recently, when I played with Lee Westwood yesterday, he being the home guy, I knew what to expect.
“The crowd was behind Lee all the way, which they should be. And the crowd in the play-off was behind Tom. And I think it turned a little bit and they finally jumped on my bandwagon after 17. It actually cleared up the waters for me and helped focus me a little bit.”
Then there was Tom Watson the person as well as the golfer. He has always been a much loved figure in the game, just as Arnold Palmer was and Jack Nicklaus wasn’t, and he was one of Stewart Cink’s heroes as he grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and later in Duluth near Atlanta, Georgia. Taking him on for his first major championship in those circumstances was an even more difficult assignment.
“I would never have dreamed of going head to head against Tom Watson in a playoff for a major championship,” he admitted. “That would have been beyond even my mind’s imagination capabilities. After playing a practice round with him at the Masters, I would have told you I never wanted to go head to head against him because of the way he hits the ball. He’s so solid and he hits the right shot. He just plays under control.
“The same Tom Watson that won this tournament back in 1977 is the same guy who showed up here this week. And he just about did it. He beat everybody but one guy and that was really special.”
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