Open Champion Stewart Cink's Advice

As much as I want to write about Stewart Cink winning the Open Championship, I can't write much that hasn't already been written. We all saw what we saw. Tom Watson played a magnificent golf. Forget his age because that is the one number that didn't matter on Sunday. He "nuked" an 8-iron on the 18th hole, a shot which carried two yards too far and resulted in missing the green long. He chose the "cautious" play with a putter, perhaps because his nerves made him doubt chipping with the ball resting agaisnt the rough. His result was a shot gunned eight feet past the hole, leaving all the pressure of the week resting on a putter that had been "balky" throughout the round. Once the stroke was made and the putt clearly missed the outcome was certain in everyone's mind, including Watson's. The playoff was just a painful footnote to a magical week. It was sad.

Always a gentleman, Stewart Cink refrained from a huge celebration at Watson's expense. His humble acceptance of a trophy that he rightfully earned and had every right to rejoice over, made me proud of him. He knows he won. He knows what it means to him. He showed great respect by caring what it meant to Tom Watson. Stewart Cink is a class act!

OK, for a guy who wasn't going to write about it, I wrote a lot about it!

Some time ago on Twitter, Stweart tweeted about Golf Pros wearing mouthgaurds when they play. This struck me as odd until I had to visit my doctor over two cracked teeth. Guess what... I grind my teeth when I play golf! Ain't that something? So, now I have a mouthgaurd and I wear it during my rounds. Honestly, I have noticed a difference. My neck muscles feel looser and as a result my shoulders seem to turn easier. Maybe it's all in my head (of course it is...teeth, duh!) but I swear it has helped. So, not just "congratulations" to Stewart Cink but a BIG "thank you" as well.