U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 4, 2026

Stewart Cink

Scioto Country Club

Press Conference

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THE MODERATOR: We're here with Stewart Cink, a 6-under 64. That is the round of the championship thus far, bogey-free. Early in the week, you said you might have not had your "A" game. Would you say today you found it?

STEWART CINK: I hit a lot more high-quality shots today for sure. I think a lot of it has to do with a conversation I had with Chris earlier before the round about just my commitment level before the shots was a little off and just not quite there, not where it needed to be.

Today was a day about making the choice to be committed and be willing to accept anything. That just has a tendency to free me up. When I play freed up, it's just the results are usually a lot better, and executing is a lot better.

Today was a good day, yeah. I'd like to bottle some of that up because it's something that golf doesn't always offer you. But today I took advantage of it. Posted a good score. It's a tough golf course. The conditions were a little easier. Some of it was the heat. Just a little bit less heat made it seem so much more manageable out there.

The golf course was just a little bit softer. Maybe that rain this morning had something to do with it. But it just felt like you could be a little bit more attacking, and you had a little bit more control of the ball when it landed.

Q. How big was that par save on 11 to keep the momentum going?

STEWART CINK: We don't really think of it like that. We try to stay in the present. There's no momentum in the present. You just try to do the best you can on every shot.

Considering the way I played that hole, to get out of there with a par -- I gave a pretty big fist pump but it was a completely sarcastic fist pump. I was just kind of laughing with the guys in my group and my caddie, like this is just not how you draw pictures on the scorecard. But a 4 is a 4.

Q. Came up just short last year. What's it going to take tomorrow to get it done?

STEWART CINK: Oh, I don't know. It depends. We got a storm that's pretty close right now, and if that storm comes over here and dumps a half an inch of rain on this golf course it's going to be a completely different test.

I don't think it would be smart to formulate any kind of a score plan right now. The biggest thing is just control what I can control, maintain that commitment level and see if I can just execute as cleanly and as decisively as possible tomorrow.

Whatever score that leads to, part of my mantra is I have to be willing to accept that. That's the only way I can free myself up. If it's 73, I'll be happy with a 73. If it's 63, I'll be happy with a 63. The other guys, can't control anything about what they do. I'm looking forward to the challenge. This is a really great tournament and means a lot to me, like everyone else. Tomorrow is going to be a big challenge.

I'm looking forward to putting myself through the test.

Q. Do you attribute some of your success today by being on the course one more day, learning a little bit more about it, or do you really think it's about playing better?

STEWART CINK: I think it's just that I -- just my commitment level was a little bit better today. My focus and my intention -- the intangible parts of golf were just cleaner and crisper today.

I think it's probably proper to do with getting more in the groove of playing tournament golf again after I took quite a few weeks off.

Of course we're all learning the golf course still. I think even members who have played here hundreds of times are still learning it because there's a lot going on out there. Great course, and with the new pins every day, we're seeing a little bit of a different challenge, different puzzle and it's really fun.

It's a great track for this tournament. I think it's an exceptionally good fit for the U.S. Senior Open.

Q. It's shaping up to be another duel between you and Mr. Harrington. Does that familiarity add anything, any level of intrigue or excitement, motivation, or are you just solely focused on you and this course and the weather and the impact that might have?

STEWART CINK: It probably naturally does add a little bit because we did this last year. We've done it a number of times other than last year, and before the PGA TOUR Champions, as well, back in the early days. I think we did this in the Ryder Cup.

Yeah, it does tend to give a little bit of a special flair about sort of head-to-head thing. But the scoring, I don't think it's just like -- no, I mean, George is only one shot back of Padraig, and then it goes one more shot back. It's not a two-horse race at all. That would be naïve to think we could play like that.

But to play Harrington, he's such a great player, and I've admired his game for so long, I think we both kind of bring good out of each other. I know I've heard him say that the press. I know he probably thinks I don't read his press, but I've read it before. He said that. I agree; I like playing with him. And he's the ultimate competitor. He's never going to take a shot off, and I don't expect him to tomorrow either.

I'm going to have my hands full with him and all these other guys tomorrow, but mostly with Scioto and myself.