Stewart Cink isn't a villain, he just played one today at Turnberry.

The affable 36-year old from Alabama was cast as the foil to the greatest story in the history of the golf, stealing the Claret Jug away from Tom Watson after it seemed destined that the five-time champion would see his name etched on that trophy once again. Cink was the bad guy, even though he's anything but.

In almost any other circumstance Cink would have been a fan favorite on a Sunday at a major. He has experienced heartbreak before, frequently appeared on lists of best players to never win a major and has fast become a fan favorite thanks to the 500,000+ followers he has on Twitter. People root for Stewart Cink because, by all accounts, Stewart Cink is a guy worth rooting for.

Had he been playing against anyone other than Tom Watson today in the four-hole playoff at the British Open, Cink could have had a Rocco Mediate-like moment. He could have earned legions of new fans while winning the title that validated his career.

Instead, he became the anti-Rocco. He was a guy everyone was surprised to find they were rooting so hard against. Cink was the lowlife who denied sports fans of watching a once-in-a-lifetime moment, all for his own personal gain and glory. Jerk.

I'm being facetious, of course (even though some people evidently feel that way). But it was strange to be so invested in Watson's success that I was wishing failure upon Cink. Outside of a Ryder Cup or Rory Sabbatini pairing, I can't remember ever having that happen. It was nothing personal, though. I was just pulling so hard for Watson that I didn't care who got in the way.

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