Fulton Blog: Cink's win at British Open a team effort

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Stewart Cink had plenty to smile about Sunday night in Scotland.

I've been sitting here for about 3 hours, and it is just about impossible to put into words the mixed emotions of this year's Open Championship. It encompassed everything that is both incredibly fulfilling about the game we love and the deep heartbreak that so often accompanies the near-misses. This week's near-miss was perhaps the greatest heartbreak in the history of the game. I must admit, I am lost for words right now as I feel awful for Tom Watson, but on the other hand I am very excited for another great man in Stewart Cink who under any other circumstances would be celebrated as a very deserving new member of the Major Champions club.

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PGA TOUR Golf Academy's Travis Fulton breaks down the keys to Stewart Cink's win on the PGA TOUR Network (XM 146, SIRIUS 209). Click to listen

In the end, I find myself asking the question if finishes like this in major championships are good for the game? After all, this is now the second time this year I have had these same feelings, as it took me nearly a week to get over the sickness I felt for Kenny Perry at Augusta.

I assume it's good for the game to see a 59-year-old icon resurface and play so well on the game's biggest stage. After all, there probably isn't a better role model for juniors to learn from on how to play the game and conduct themselves both on and off the golf course. In addition, there probably isn't another man in the world at the age of 59 that could've done what Watson did at Turnberry inspiring the older generation of golfers that it's not too late to play some of your best golf. However you skin it, it was an unbelievable week for everyone who follows the game at any level especially now for the "Champion Golfer of the Year" -- Stewart Cink.

What Can Learn
Over the last few years like so many other players on the PGA TOUR, Cink has formed a team around him to help him continue to elevate his game to even higher levels. There is no question golf on the PGA TOUR is a big business. As talent just gets deeper each year and it becomes harder and harder to carve out a significant advantage.

In today's game, a competitive edge in any facet of the game might be the difference between making a cut or, perhaps, winning a tournament. From the player's perspective, it takes a tremendous amount of trust and belief to make the necessary changes to better their game. At the TOUR Academies, we call these areas the "Four Cornerstones of Improvement:"

• Swing Technique
• Fitness
• Equipment
• Mental Conditioning

These four areas provide the opportunity for the best players in the world to make up a team of specialists all geared around helping them maximize their talents to shoot the lowest score possible. Heading into The Open Championship this past week, Team Cink included:

Instruction
The most popular specialist on the PGA TOUR is the swing coach. Cink's swing coach is Butch Harmon and these two have put together a game plan over the years for Stewart's swing to make it more powerful and efficient. One of the main objectives over the years has been to get Cink more distance off the tee. The two have been working very hard to get Cink to maintain the width in his swing by keeping his hands as far away from his head as possible in both directions. This really allows the club head to move faster through the hitting area and take a full advantage of his 6-foot-4-inch frame.

Another component the two have worked on is to get Cink to shape shots in both directions. The two have worked on keeping Cink's club head on plane so he can effectively work the ball left-to-right or right-to-left on command. This was a real key for Cink at Turnberry to help navigate the wind and the slopes of the terrain.

Fitness
One of the fastest growing areas in the game is golf-specific fitness. I can remember growing up playing golf and being scared to lift weights because I was told it would ruin my game. Nevertheless, in the late 90s' a gentleman by the name of Tiger Woods emerged on the scene and simply made world-class fitness a prerequisite to becoming a champion golfer.

Cink has followed Tiger's footsteps and works very hard with his trainer, Chris Noss. Like instructors, these fitness specialists design programs that will get the player moving in the right direction with their body for not only immediate results but to minimize injuries over the long haul.

The neat thing about Cink's fitness program is it supports his goals and direction with Butch Harmon, too. With a huge premium on distance on the PGA TOUR, players need a triple combo of maximized range of motion, explosive power and exquisite balance. Noss is able to work on Cink's body from all of these standpoints to maximize Cink's performance on the golf course.

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Cink and coach Butch Harmon have worked to get Cink more power off the tee.

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Complete Open coverage

Club Fitting
New technology has advanced what club manufacturers can do with a PGA TOUR player's equipment. With complex Doppler radar launch monitors that can track a golf ball from the moment it leaves the clubface until it stops rolling, technicians can maximize the performance of every club in the bag.

This part of team Cink is handled by Nike. The technical reps who travel with the PGA TOUR for Nike are charged with getting Cink the right equipment that not only fits his eye but also maximizes his performance on the course. Like the trainer, these tech reps can work with the instructor to understand what the two are working on to help get the right clubs into the player's hands. Currently, Cink uses the SQ Sumo Tour Driver that is fitted to him perfectly to get maximum distance off the tee.

Mental Conditioning
Sport psychology gains popularity on the PGA TOUR every year. Of the roughly 210 players on the PGA TOUR, 60 players have listed a Sport psychologist to work inside the ropes with them throughout the season.

Psychology in golf deals with getting players to increase their performance by managing emotions and minimizing any psychological effects of poor performance. Players will work on skills such as relaxation, visualization, concentration, awareness, confidence, self-talk, etc. All of these things -- when done in the proper amounts -- can allow the player to perform at his highest level under intense pressure.

The most recent addition to team Cink was sports psychologist, Morris Pickens. Pickens was added to the team after the PLAYERS Championship this year and has obviously made an impact with Cink. After the round on Sunday, Cink made reference to how at ease he was trying to win his first major championship. Cink was in a state of mind made where he didn't feel nervous, but rather confident, that he could win The Open Championship. Perhaps this was the final piece to the team that Cink needed to get that first major title.

These four cornerstones of Improvement are available to the best players in the world as well as all of us. Some of us may need to work with an instructor to help refine our skills in the full swing and short game for better performance on the golf course. Some of us may need a club technician that can help get the right equipment in our hands to maximize distance and accuracy. Some of us may need a trainer to improve our flexibility and strength and -- for some of us -- we may need a sport psychologist to help us between the ears so we can make better decisions on the course under pressure.

Wow, there is a lot to this if you really want to reach peak performance. Who's on your team?

Just Because
This week was another great reminder of how the icons of our sport built this great game. The game of golf has always stood on a mantle of integrity, respect and so many other great qualities that are great parallels to everyday life.

It was a lot of fun to watch Tom Watson this week not only for his great play, but just for the man he is and how he conducted himself all week. It seems the game has changed a bit since Watson started winning majors back in the 70s and how often some of today's great players don't conduct themselves with the same class that Tom has done every day on the golf course his entire career. Perhaps after watching Tiger throw clubs and swear all day during Friday's round, he too was watching over the weekend.

You never, ever saw that type of behavior from Trevino, Watson, Nicklaus, Player, etc. It is what has traditionally separated golf from all the other sports and it would be a shame if Tom Watson's amazing week doesn't remind today's stars of their responsibility to the next generation. Fortunately, Stewart Cink is as classy at Watson and it's just a shame that Cink had to be the villain on a day when there shouldn't have been any villains.

Way to go Tom. Way to go Stewart. You are both great champions.