Stewart Cink began what could be his last Masters teeing off in Thursday’s first group, a few minutes after Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player struck the ceremonial first tee shots. He walked off 1 over after two birdies, one bogey and one double bogey. He will tee off in the second round at 10:52 a.m. Friday.
Cink qualified for the Masters by virtue of the five-year exemption he received after winning the 2009 British Open. That exemption closes at year’s end and the former Georgia Tech standout acknowledged there is pressure to find some way to make it back.
There are several ways he can qualify for next year’s Masters, including winning this year’s event, or by finishing among the top 12.
“You want to go ahead and sew it up as early as you can but there are other ways to get in,” he said. “I just want to play well for the Masters because it’s a great tournament and it’s a major. Getting back in next year is more of a reward than a goal.”
Cink was rolling along at 1 under on Thursday until four bad shots hurt his round.
He pulled his approach on 14 left to the short side of the flag, leaving little room to create a shot. Because a pine tree was in the way, Cink hit a low pitch that trickled onto the edge of the green. His long downhill par putt rolled six feet past the hole. He walked off with a double bogey to drop to 1 over.
“It was a hole where I made 6 but I really hit only one bad shot,” Cink said.
He followed that by pushing his tee shot on the par-5 15th hole to the right where it came to rest in pinestraw. His shot out hit a limb and ricocheted 10 yards behind him. He eventually saved par by sticking his approach to within a few feet.
Cink bounced back by birdieing the par-3 16th, rolling in a beautiful right-to-left breaking putt to move to par.
He found the fairway off the tee on No. 17 and hit his approach to within a few feet. His birdie putt lipped out.
Another poor drive on 18 led to a bogey.
Cink said he’s not changing his approach with the British Open window closing.
“We will do the best we can at Augusta and then we will do the best we can at Harbour Town,” he said. “And then we will do the best we can at Charlotte and then the best we can at the next one. You can’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve got your hands full every week with the golf course and the competition and the way you feel inside.
“It’s exciting but it’s also a little bit nerve-wrecking, so we will do what we can do here.”
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