By Bobby Hall
Special to PGATOUR.com

MEMPHIS -- John Cook never likes to say that golf is easy because he knows it's not. Even the PGA TOUR professionals -- perhaps more than anyone -- realize how difficult and demanding and downright mind-boggling the game can be.

So when Cook talks about the week he had at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in 1996, a little bit of the "Twilight Zone" theme would serve as perfect accompaniment. His tone of voice becomes soft -- a cross between reverence and pride for the accomplishment, and disbelief that he ever did it in the first place.

"That was the best week of my career, without a doubt," he said.

It was the week that Cook won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in an event-record 26-under-par total of 258 with rounds of 64-62-63-69. His seven-stroke victory was another record in Memphis.

"That kind of thing doesn't happen very often," he said.

Some of those same memorable thoughts started flickering again Thursday in the first round of this year's FedEx St. Jude Classic as Cook, now 48, was shooting his way to a 1-under-par 69 during a wind-blown morning at what is now a much-tougher TPC Southwind.

"Sure, I try to remember that week as much as I can," said Cook, with a smile.

And why not?

Keep in mind that he's a winner of 11 TOUR events in a pro career that began in 1980 and has produced more than $11.6 million. But the 1996 FedEx St. Jude Classic still ranks as THE week in Cook's scrapbook.

"I had some good weeks at the (Bob) Hope where I shot some low scores, but I'm pretty proud of shooting 189 around this place for three rounds," he said.

The score set a PGA TOUR record for low first 54 holes, which has since been tied by Mark Calcavecchia in the 2001 Phoenix Open and Tommy Armour III at the 2003 Valero Texas Open. He set several TOUR marks that week that have been eclipsed over the years, but he still holds or shares five FESJC marks.

The week was all that good and more.

"I hit it inside two feet, like, maybe, 12 times? I just went up and tapped in," Cook said, with that tone of amazement surfacing in his voice again. "And the rest of the time I was 8, 10, 12 feet. Rarely did I have a distance that the club didn't fit."

Shaking his head with the memory, he said, with a laugh: “I never struggled the whole week. You hate to say ‘easy’ because it’s never easy, but it was so easy that week.”

Through 10 holes Thursday, Cook was 2-under par and only two shots behind leader Chris Smith, who finished with a 6-under-64.

"I hit a shot right at the pin on No. 11 and it took one bounce past the flag and went in the water," said Cook, who made a double-bogey at the island par-3 hole.

But he recovered nicely at the par-4 12th with a birdie, his third and last of the day.

"I have some flashbacks out here occasionally," Cook said. "I kind of remember the numbers and the places I put it (in 1996). But the course is much tougher."

Renovation of Southwind in 2004 included replacing soft Bentgrass greens with firmer Champion Bermuda and reduced par from 71 to 70 by shortening No. 5 to a par 4 instead of a par 5. Overall, however, the course was lengthened about 200 yards to 7,244 yards

"The greens are firm, little pads to hit to, which I like -- I'm 'old school,'" he said. "You can't go 'flag-hunting' here like we used to. You have to move the ball around and play to spots.

"If you want to equalize golf courses, you get the greens nice and firm like this and a little bit small, and put the pins in some corners with the wind blowing a little bit - it's a whole different game."

Cook apparently still has the touch for Southwind, where he closed with a 4-under-par 66 in the final round of 2005 (and tied for 29th). Since 1996, he's had to miss several events in Memphis because of graduations of his three children. TOUR veterans know the feeling.

"There were either high school graduations or college graduations," he said. "For about three years, there always was a conflict."

At this point in his career, Cook, whose best finish on the final TOUR money list the last three years was 165th last year, says that his top priorities don't include golf, at least not for the moment.

"I love to play -- it's what I do," he said. "And I'm looking forward to turning 50 (in October 2007) and playing the Champions Tour. So I will try to play my way onto the Champions Tour next year because you better go out there with your guns loaded or they're going to beat you up.

"But my main priorities right now are staying healthy, being a part of my kids' lives, although they're grown, and enjoying spending time with my wife. We haven't been able to spend a lot of time together in 25 years, so the last two have been pretty fun."

And so is teeing it up at TPC Southwind.

"It fits my eye. It's always fit my eye," he said.