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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2006

Stewart Cink

MEDINAH, ILLINOIS

KELLY ELBIN: Stewart Cink, ladies and gentlemen, in with a 4 under par round of 68, five birdies and one bogey. Stewart, the birdie on 10 kind of got everything going for you.

STEWART CINK: Yeah, I started off really well. I probably played my best golf on the front nine today. Hit all the fairways just about and I had a lot of birdie opportunities. You know, it was very scorable today out here for me and it was as friendly as the course is going to play. And I was just happy to somewhat take advantage of it.

Q. Is the Ryder Cup on your mind? Is that's what's brought this play for the last two weeks?

STEWART CINK: I think it would be more accurate to say the Ryder Cup is off my mind. Because where I am, No. 12, I don't have anything to lose here. If I go down a couple spots the only thing I have is something to gain. If I go up into the Top 10 then I'm an automatic qualifier and that would be great.

But from 12, I don't think you can drop far enough down where you're not really at least somewhat in the mix for a possible pick. So I'm just playing to play the PGA Championship. I feel like I'm in a pretty good position as far as the Ryder Cup for it to be as far from my mind as possible.

Q. How much conversations have you had with Tom about what his feelings are about you? And, I mean, obviously you're right there and you've played before now and all that, so you're right there, but what are the indications from Tom?

STEWART CINK: Well, I would never approach Tom with that subject, you know, and ask him what he's thinking about my game and if I'm being considered for a pick or not. I don't think that would be the right thing to do. So the answer to the first part of your question is zero. I have not talked to him about that.

He did mention to me last week that after we finished, we flew here together, me and Tom and a few other players. And he did mention to me that he was really hoping that I would move into the Top 10 and, I think I needed to finish second to do that and it didn't work for me. But he did mention that. That's really about all he said. He really wants me to qualify for the team. I think I understand what he means by that; that he doesn't want to be forced to make me a pick, because he's probably got somebody else in mind ahead of me I guess. (Laughing).

Q. You mentioned outside that you were able to make some adjustments in the round today that you probably wouldn't be able to make a few years ago. Can you expound on that, what you tweaked during the round and how that helped you?

STEWART CINK: I just really learned a lot about my golf game over the last three years. Working with Butch has really given me a real true glimpses into what I do and how my body works and all that. I know my tendencies now pretty well so that when I start making mistakes here and there, you know, it's usually a pattern and I can usually make an adjustment to correct it and I did today.

I felt like my ball position got a little up, and it's one of the things I always work on is keeping my ball position back, off the tee especially. It resulted in some better drives towards the end and I drove it really well at the beginning, but then I got a little wayward in the middle part of the round and was able to adjust. It's just really important knowing like I said, out there, we're human beings, we're not going to swing the same way every time. So if I can make adjustments on the fly like that, and improve during the round, you know, that's really big. It's going to save me shots.

Q. Is it okay to have this much fun at a Major, seeing that much red numbers up there, or should it be more punishing/grueling?

STEWART CINK: I don't think there's anything wrong with it really. If somebody shoots 20 under par this week, then they are going to be the PGA Champion and they are going to have to go through a whole lot to win this tournament. It's a tough win to win no matter what. Whether you shoot 20 under or 5 over, I don't think it matters.

Medinah is a good golf course. It's not like it's too short and guys are overpowering it. It's just a good, fair test. And good golf is going to be rewarded with a good score.

KELLY ELBIN: Stewart, could you go through your birdies and bogeys real quick, please.

STEWART CINK: 10, I hit driver and was aggressive on my second shot, hit a 3 wood about ten yards short of the green and chipped up about two feet.

12, driver in the fairway, 7 iron about five feet.

14, actually made a bad lay up there. Hit it in the fairway but then I laid up in the rough and just had to gouge it on the green. Made about a 20 footer for birdie so I got away with that one.

3, lays in the rough and couldn't reach the green and could not get up and down from about 20 yards short.

5, I was in the rough there. This was my stretch of bad driving. In the rough but laid up perfect and hit an approach wedge about six inches.

And 7, I drove it perfect after the adjustment and hit a hybrid from the fairway from 270 about 20 feet. That was fine, that shot. Almost made eagle there but had to settle for birdie.

Q. Having been through this for several rounds now, is it a good idea to have the Ryder Cup Team decided on this particular weekend, do you think it detracts a little bit from the Major Championship or is there another time that would be more ideal?

STEWART CINK: I think it's a good idea to have it done during the PGA because actually I think it brings more to the PGA. It makes it even that much more difficult for players who are on the bubble to perform and it gives the captain an idea of how they are going to perform in the Ryder Cup situation because the more you have riding on it, the closer it mimics the actual thing.

And also, the thing's coming up in like a month, so you don't have anymore time here. The European Team is not decided until I think after next week, and luckily for them, it's played over there this year. But in the years it's over here, that's only about a three week turnaround for them and it's tough to get plans made and schedules made and all that stuff.

Q. After the U.S. Open, I believe you said the course gave you a case of the steers or the guides or something to that effect. Is this course here, I don't want to say less challenging, but is it less frightening, is it more easy to be relaxed and play here?

STEWART CINK: It's not as it's not the stern test that Winged Foot was, not at all. I've heard a lot about it's the longest course in major championship history, but it's not playing quite that long. There's just, I don't know, something about this course, the rough's not as severe. The greens are a lot smoother and a lot softer.

So just a lot reasons. This course doesn't quite have the teeth that winning Winged Foot had. This major during the season, this is going to reward some good play. There's going somebody some players making some birdies out there, so should be a really exciting finish.

KELLY ELBIN: Stewart Cink in with 4 under par 68. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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