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BUICK CHAMPIONSHIP

June 30, 2006

Stewart Cink

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

TODD BUDNICK: We thank Stewart Cink for stopping in today, 6 under 65, at the Buick Championship. The course winner here 1997. Nice to be back here and playing well today?

STEWART CINK: I have great memories from my first win on Tour, even though it was quite a while ago. But yes, to be up on the leaderboard again and have a good round, it always feels good.

TODD BUDNICK: No bogeys today. Talk about playing well today.

STEWART CINK: I was really relaxed today and usually that leads to good scoring. I was able to keep the ball in the fairway. I think I only missed one fairway. These days this course isn't as difficult as it used to be. A lot of variables have changed the game and this course is just if you keep it in play you can make birdie on a lot of holes. I felt I was putting for birdie all day and made five and could have made more. It was a great round.

Q. The variables that make it not as difficult as it used to be, what changed in your mind or in your eyes that you think it was a little easier to play?

STEWART CINK: The main thing, we're just hitting it farther. The ball, a drive that goes 290 instead of 270 turns these long par 4s, which there are a few, 10, 7, 4, those holes are pretty tough, but coming in there with shorter irons than we used to makes it a lot different game.

If you hit the fairway, especially with the conditions the way they are, the ball is staying in the fairway pretty easily, not rolling. The greens are soft, not that fast yet. The conditions couldn't be better for scoring. It's fun to play on days like this.

Q. (6 under is leading.)

STEWART CINK: It's a little bit of a mystery to me why somebody didn't shoot lower than that. I have a feeling by the end of the day somebody will be better than 6 under.

Q. (No microphone.)

STEWART CINK: I think the real reason is there are two par 5s instead of four. Usually we have four opportunities for birdies and those are guaranteed if you're hitting the fairways, and today you only have two. I think that's the difference.

Q. Is the comfort level different, Stewart, for winning on a course like this? When you come back here, do you feel more relaxed, more kind of excited about playing as opposed like say Pebble Beach, playing 20 times and never winning, then when you come here, even though it's three or four times, the fact that you've won, does it make that much more comfortable for you to come and play?

STEWART CINK: It makes it more comfortable. I don't know if it's because I've won the tournament or had good rounds in the past and have good strategy. I can read the greens pretty well. My game has changed a lot since then; everybody's has. Just the fact that I've done good things in the past here, sometimes it's added up to a win, sometimes it's added up to not a win, but good finishes. I think that's where the comfort comes from.

Q. Are you more relaxed after Winged Foot?

STEWART CINK: I didn't play Booz Allen, but I played in the CVS tournament at the Rhode Island Country Club. That was fun. I got my relaxation kick there. Coming back here feels more intense after that. Coming after Winged Foot or any major, but especially a place like Winged Foot, it's quite a different story. It's nice to hit balls that stick on the greens and see pins that are actually puttable and playable, other than what we saw there.

Q. What are some of the memories you remember, aside from the win. You said you had great memories. Are there certain shots, certain rounds?

STEWART CINK: Shoot, how long do we have? I could go on and on. I remember a lot of my shots. I think a lot of guys don't remember the way I do, but I vividly remember a lot of shots. From here, I can just tell you numerous ones that I remember. They stick out in my mind, and the ones that are more important obviously tend to stick in your mind the most vividly.

Q. 17?

STEWART CINK: That one stuck in my mind. That was an important shot. That was sort of a risky, almost a go for broke type of shot. Other shots I remember are coming into the 18th green, hitting a 3 iron in the playoff. That was a beauty straight into the wind.

I remember making birdie on 17, the year I lost in the playoff, to basically get myself into position to get into the playoff, 7 iron there to three feet. I remember the eagle. I remember a lot of details, even the flight of the ball and the shot, the way the wind was blowing and all that stuff. My mind works that way. I wish I could remember people's names I just met an hour ago (laughter). I remember a lot of shots I've hit my whole life, even back to when I was a little kid I remember a lot of shots I hit. Unfortunately, I forget names.

Q. You hit a ball the year that you won in the trash can.

STEWART CINK: No. 2 off the tee. I remember that.

Q. I think you birdied that hole.

STEWART CINK: Maybe, yes.

Q. Did you feel destiny going on?

STEWART CINK: That I hit a ball in the trash?

Q. That you birdied the hole.

STEWART CINK: I birdied the first hole that day too. I don't think I felt it was destiny. I just felt I was in control. I'm not sure I really believe in destiny when I play golf. It comes from within you. I've been given a lot of gifts from above and I firmly believe that.

I don't think it's bestowed on you that you're going to win the tournament. You're bestowed a gift and it's what you make of it.

The birdie on 1, and the birdie on 2 in the trash can, I felt I was in control and I won.

Q. How often do your boys come out and follow you?

STEWART CINK: Mostly they do come to tournaments with me. To answer your question, how often do they get to do it, they get to every round, but they don't want to very often. They're still too young. When they have the alternative PGA Family Center to play in, the play section. They do come to some golf tournaments. They do play golf. In fact, we're going to play golf this afternoon. I like them to come out, I like them to see what I go through on the golf course, good shots, bad shots, just like my wife does for most every round.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your birdies, Stewart.

No. 12, I hit driver down the fairway and hit a wedge to about three feet.

13, down the middle and then went for the green in two, but hit a lousy second shot. I put myself in an awkward position, almost had to pitch out. There was a big hump right beside the pin and I had to go to the side of it.

15, drove just short of the green and made a really lousy pitch actually, too. If there is an easy chip to the right front pin on 15, I had it and I botched it pretty bad and hit it 20 feet past and made the putt.

2, Robert Gamez holed it right after I hit my shot so I had to make birdie. I hit it to eight feet, easy putt straight uphill.

3, I hit a wedge to about a foot.

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks, Stewart.

End of FastScripts.

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