Alabaman

A native Alabaman, he was a dose friend of Aubrey Williams, a New Deal relief administrator in the 1930s who was president of the small Alabama Farmers Union.

Stewart Cink Age 37; Ryder Cups 4 (02-04-06-08) Record Played 15, won 3, halved 4, lost 8 Singles W1, L3; Fourballs W1, H3, L0; Foursomes W1, H1, L5 Ryder Cup form 1-0-0-1/2-0-1-0-1/2-1/2-1/2-0-1-1-0-0 Form in chronological order, ie most recent last Presidents Cup W9, H2, L7 World ranking 35 The Alabaman has slid down the world since winning The Open last year and was a wild-card pick.

One Alabaman witnessed "an arm and shoulder fly from the man just in front, exposing his throbbing heart.

Stewart Cink needed to start performing better if he was going to warrant a Ryder Cup wild-card pick from his pal Corey Pavin and in his last two tournaments the lanky Alabaman has indicated he is coming to the boil.

Cink, along with his buddy Davis Love, seems to be inspired by this beautiful venue and anyone who was at Turnberry last July knows how much the lanky Alabaman loves a links challenge.

But Cink is too good a player, and too well-rounded a man, to let himself fade out of the picture the way Campbell has, and there are reasons to believe the lanky Alabaman will use this week's Transitions Championship in Florida to kickstart his Ryder Cup year.

STEWART CINK is one of those infuriating characters who seems happy to enjoy the millionaire pro-golfer lifestyle without overly busting a gut for glory, but the lanky Alabaman has enough talent to post top-40 finishes when on auto-pilot and another probably beckons in this week's Memorial.

Stewart Cink Age 35 Ryder Cups 3 (02-04-06) Record P12 W3 H4 L5 Singles W1 L2 Ryder form 1-0-0-1/2-0-1-0-1/2-1/2-1/2- 0-1 World ranking 11 The follically-challenged 6ft 4in Alabaman played the match of his life in the last Ryder Cup when destroying the previously unbeaten Sergio Garcia.

The Alabaman won this in 1997 and lost out in a threeway play-off the following year.

With a home next to the course, the Alabaman has played in all 11 tournaments since Sugarloaf became the regular venue, and is No.

It could be a thin day for the Europeans all round with in-form Stewart Cink fancied to beat Sergio Garcia as the 6ft 4in Alabaman rarely has a bad week, was fifth on the course last year and third in the Masters.

That victory could be a one-off but the well-upholstered Alabaman has Copperhead form - third to Carl Pettersson in 2005 and sixth to John Huston in the inaugural event in 2000, when it was the Tampa Bay Classic.

Cink's six top-tens from ten appearances - I nearly said "visits" but as he lives just across the road, it is a home from home for the 6ft 4in Alabaman who has made Georgia his home for many years - speak for themselves and tall Stew's third place at Sawgrass indicates how secure his game is at the moment.

It is a plus for the lanky Alabaman that he finished third at Copperhead last year and he could be the week's best value.

Stewart Cink recovered from the Oakland Hills Ryder Cup mauling two years ago to finish a close runner-up to Singh in the 84 Lumber Classic the following week, so there are no fears that the rangy Alabaman will not pick himself up quickly.