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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Stewart Cink has long treasured his journeys to this little spot in the world that hugs the Atlantic Ocean, an island paradise featuring a legendary lighthouse, charming ambiance, peaceful streets lined with an assortment of trees and miles of inviting beaches and bike trails.
All of which surrounds the gem named Harbour Town Golf Links, a challenging Pete Dye layout that tests one and all golfers without brutalizing them. The first time Cink toured Harbour Town, he won the 2000 MCI Classic, now known as the RBC Heritage. Added another win in 2004 and hasn’t missed a chance to tee it up here for 22 consecutive years.
“I feel so relaxed here,” Cink said. “I think it’s the vibe. Is it the week after the Masters vibe or is it the Hilton Head Island vibe? Maybe a little bit both. Coming after the grindhouse that Augusta National can be – especially this year, conditions were pretty tough – it’s nice to come here and relax a little bit, exhale.”
Well, he relaxed a bit too much ahead of his opening tee shot Thursday in the first round of the RBC Heritage, sending his golf ball deep into a lake guarding the 10th hole and making bogey. From there, however, Cink didn’t have another blemish on his card full of seven birdies and an eagle and grabbed the first-round lead with an 8-under-par 63 — his career low at Harbour Town.
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“It really was a very smooth round once I got past the obstacle of the first hole. It was probably one of the worst opening drives I ever hit in my life,” he said. “You’d think that’s a bad way to start, but in a way it’s a wake-up call. After playing in the Masters and being super focused and intense, to come here and be lazy on the first shot was kind of like a slap in the face and it got my attention.
“I was just so relaxed and lackadaisical on the shot that I just kind of didn’t really go through my normal preparation on the shot. Just completely went to sleep at the wheel. Then I really played very, very well the rest of the way.”
Quite a few players played well under overcast skies. Matt Wallace, who finished third in the Valero Texas Open two weeks ago and tied for 34th in last week’s Masters, shot a bogey-free 65 to stand in second among the early finishers.
Billy Horschel, Charles Howell III and Harold Varner III were at 66.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson finished with a 70.
“This week’s so much more relaxed than last,” Horschel said. “You’re just so excited to get to Augusta, can’t wait to play, and by maybe the middle of the week or after the first round, gosh, this place just drives me insane. It’s just one of those weeks where it drives you a little insane with the way the wind can be; the way they set it up. It just requires a lot from you as a golfer.
“So, it’s always nice to come over here after a stressful challenging week like it would be at any major.”
Hilton Head’s casual atmosphere even made an angry golfer smile. Wallace was one of several European Tour stars to take part in a hilarious video released earlier this year where they gathered together to attend an anger management therapy group to discuss their issues (Wallace has had problems with caddies).
Wallace had few issues in the first round and loves Hilton Head.
“I do like it here,” said Wallace, who added that the angry golfer video was brilliant, and the outtakes are even better. “My girlfriend has been coming here with her family for a really long time and it’s a special place. Really nice and chilled and we enjoy it.
“Tournament golf is not decompression (golf) for me. I am fully focused out there. But I like the vibe, the chilled vibe, and I like the trees. I mean, it’s pretty cool that you’ve got all the roads in between the trees and the shrubs, the dense growth.
“The golf course itself is nice as well. I like playing here. I’ve got a good handle of what I want to do on the golf course, and it showed today.”