Cink changes for the better

Ryder Cup player Stewart Cink leads the Bank of America Colonial tournament in Texas after undertaking what he calls “an overhaul of my whole attitude”.

With nothing better than two 10th-place finishes all season Cink has dropped to 28th in the race for places in Tom Lehman’s side for this September’s match in Ireland.

“I changed a couple of little things with my swing and I tried to get off my own back basically,” he said after a six-under-par 64, only his third sub-70 score since the first week in February.

“I was being too hard on myself and now I’m just trying to go day-to-day. I'm not trying to think of living up to anything in the past – yeah I had a good year in 2004, but I can’t do more except to prepare my best for the next shot.

“It’s not a glamorous storyline or anything, but it’s a pretty good way to approach this game. It’s paid off for a lot of people in the past.

“I’m proud of the two wins I had that year and a lot of really high finishes, but I’m not trying to play out here according to that benchmark. You know, it’s a slippery slope to go down to start thinking of yourself that way.”

Cink, who hopes to celebrate his 33rd birthday on Sunday in real style, leads by one from fellow Americans Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Charley Hoffman, Arron Oberholser – last week’s 60-shooter in the Byron Nelson Championship – and Canada’s Players Championship winner Stephen Ames.

After 11 holes Ames was seven under, but he three-putted the next and then failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker on the following hole.

Britain’s Justin Rose hit a 127-yard approach to three feet for a closing birdie and a two under 68, while tournament favourite Jim Furyk and defending championship Kenny Perry were among those on four under.

Of the 113 players who finished their rounds 66 shot par or better and Cink commented: “With no wind to speak of out there, club selection wasn’t that challenging.

“If you’re swinging well and thinking well, you will get a lot of shots close. And I did. I wish I could bottle this feeling.”