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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 21, 2008

Stewart Cink

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Stewart Cink, thanks for joining us here. Great round today, 5-under par 65. Puts you the leader heading into tomorrow. Just a couple comments on the round.
STEWART CINK: Well it was actually quite similar round to yesterday's round. I drove it pretty well most of the day, and kept it, you know -- I had the kind of round we call, putting it in front of you a lot. I just kind of hit it where I was looking a lot of times.
Then the shot on 16, I hit it in the water, you know, sort of a shock there because I hadn't really made mistakes all day, then to suddenly do the that, you know, was a little bit shocking. But then to the finish off with a couple birdies, I felt like it gained some momentum back and put myself back in a good mindset for tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for a few questions.

Q. Did you notice by the time you teed off you were already behind? An hour and a half before, did you notice what was going on?
STEWART CINK: I didn't really notice-- I didn't see the leader board or anything. But I had lunch real quick with Lucas before we went out, and he went over to -- I think he got a bite of bread pudding (Laughter.) Beside that went to the leader board on the computer and he said something about there was three guys at 8-under par for the day. So I figured, okay, 8-under for the day, the cut was 3-under, that means we're not leading any more. So I didn't see the leader board, but with just my mathematical skills I figured I was not leading.

Q. Was it almost stunning? I know the conditions were good, but here's guys who barely made the cut and before you tee off you are behind?
STEWART CINK: It wasn't stunning. I fully expected it to be somewhat like that.
You know, the guys that missed the cut were only eight shots behind the lead. I mean, that's remarkable. I was 10. They were 2. Well they missed the cut though. Got to 2, missed though cut. They missed the cut and were 8 back. And, I mean, that's the remarkable.
That says a lot about today's PGA Tour players and how much depth is there is out here. Suddenly at 3-under they got hot obviously, some guys shot low, and boom they're up there and double-digits under par and it's -- I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be the same tomorrow.

Q. When was the last time you sat on the lead going into the final round?
STEWART CINK: I think it was probably Tampa. And I lost there. And my record's not that good, you know, with lead going into the final round, but hopefully it's coincidence.

Q. What does -- playing your first tournament here in 1997, what did that mean to you?
STEWART CINK: It really put me on the map as far as I was concerned. I was a rookie. I had struggled a little bit. I missed a couple cuts, but I had some good finishes. I had a good U.S. Open. And then, I think, just before this tournament I had secured my card for the next year, which was a big goal. And so I felt like I had some freedom.
Then I come here to play and it was the second time I had played here. That was the only tournament my rookie year that I played in before. I played here in '95 as well. So for the first time in the year I wasn't playing a brand-new golf course. So I felt like I had a little bit of an edge. You know, I sort of knew what to expect and just took away that variable and just freed me up to the point where I won.
And I went from being, you know, other than college player of the year or whatever the year before, I went from being number one to someone. You know, you win a tournament and I'm moved up into the higher rankings and top 30 on the money list. And I was going to Kapalua the next year, except I think it was La Costa back then.
But I had arrived, you know. And I felt like, wow, I actually do belong out here now. And it actually -- I don't know how well I handled that because it was sort of a big jump all of a sudden. You know, I was only about 24. I'm glad it happened. And I'd sure like to add another one here.
This is a great tournament, and the fact that all these good players have come from the U.S. Open across country to play here says a lot for Travelers and what they've been able to do here.

Q. The way this course has been playing, do you think 20-under is going to be the number tomorrow, for you, or do you think it will be higher?
STEWART CINK: I don't usually think about it in that term, you know, with the target score. But I think if I could get to 20-under tomorrow I will have given myself a really good chance to win. So it would be great to get to 20 and finish there.
There's no guarantees the way the course is, but I think that would be a good target score. Like I said, I won't be going out with a target score in mind, but, you know, when I get to 20 I won't be sitting there trying to make pars the rest of the way, I'll be trying to get to 21, 22, 23. Hopefully, I'll get that opportunity.
THE MODERATOR: If you would just run us through your birdies and the clubs.
STEWART CINK: All right. Number 2, hit it in there about 3 feet from 70 yards. 5, I hit 5-iron to about 18 feet.
6, right in front of the green in two and made sort of a pretty average chip at best, probably not even average, about 15 feet past the hole and then made the putt.
7, I hit it left rough. Didn't really have much of a shot to the green, kind of a low hook that just sort of rolled up there. I hit it over the green in the rough, ended up missing about a 6-footer for par.
9, I sort of flared my second shot with a wedge out to the middle of the green. Had about 25, 30 feet, made that.
11, I hit 9-iron about 10 feet, made it.
16, I think we've gone through. Hit it in the water, dropped, then made about a 3-footer for par. I mean for bogey.
17, that was a 3-iron off the tee and a wedge to about 15 feet.
And 18 was driver and a lob wedge to about 3 feet.
THE MODERATOR: What did you hit on 16?
STEWART CINK: I hit a 7-iron.
Hunter had just hit a smooth 6 right before me and hit it about 25 feet past and I am a little longer than he is with my iron so I figured a nice full 7 will be the club. And I aimed a little left of the flag.
You know, I went through everything like I should and like I know how to do, but the swing I made just was sort of a lazy, it was a little bit wishy. And I kind of got lazy with my lower body. A little bit tired swing there and got out in front of it and also caught a little bit high on the face and it kind of went fluttering up in the air. Then also there was wind that kind of picked up in my face. All the ingredients were there for that ball to come up way short, and it never had a chance.
THE MODERATOR: After you dropped, how far did you have?
STEWART CINK: I dropped and I had 90-yards to the flag.
With the wind coming into you, the pin was only about one or two yards on top of that false front where it would roll right back into the water. Anything with backspin was going back. I had to play a controlled little -- I have a 54-degree sand wedge that I play a little, just a controlled little punch in there, and it still came back more than thought, came back below the hole.

Q. Was there even a conscious thought on your part or any of the players you've spoken with that felt really there will be a void without Tiger?
STEWART CINK: I think there's some thought, yeah. I mean, if Tiger was going to play, let's say, five more tournaments this year he was probably going to win at least three of them. So that's three tournaments someone else is going to win. And I think players are thinking a little bit that, hey, you know, while the cat's away, let's play. You know, us being the mice. (Laughter.)
But I think the Tour, you know, the players are so good out here that just because one player, even though he is the best player, is sidelined now, you still are going to have to beat some players that really play something serious golf.
And it's obvious today when you look up on the leader board. Guys that were just a few shots back of the lead and they threw up 6, 7-under par, 8-under even up there. It's staggering what kind of birdie they can make out here.

Q. This tournament is so bunched, you could have a guy that's maybe you know tied for 42 right now end up winning the thing.
STEWART CINK: That goes show you what good conditions like we had here and good players can do. I mean, the players have never been better.
Every year -- the top players are always good, right. You got Tiger, Phil at the top, guys that are always really good. But the 100th player is so much better now than he was five years ago, ten years ago. And that's why you see these guys that a lot of people have never heard of. Like there's an amateur this week that I think is playing well. I mean, I know he played wells, I don't know what he shot today, but that even shows you where they're coming from. It's just an endless supply. And I'm just glad I've got my card secured.

Q. The way everybody changes around I mean somebody that is 100 now could be 15 next year.
STEWART CINK: We had a player last week that went from 157 to 47 and he didn't even win. Rocco. Is that right?
THE MODERATOR: Yep.
STEWART CINK: So when you got guys moving around that much -- even the world rankings -- this tournament I know is bunched up, but the world rankings, Rocco goes up 110 places, that's bunched up too.
THE MODERATOR: Okay. Well, Stewart, thanks so much. As always we appreciate your time.
STEWART CINK: Got it.

End of FastScripts

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