Cink frustrated over players' Cup carping
To all those players who have been beefing about being left out of the process when it came to structuring the FedEx Cup playoffs, player policy board member Stewart Cink has something to say.
"For anyone who wants to complain about not knowing what the FedEx Cup structure is like or the scheduling or anything like that ... it's been documented for a year now in print," said Cink, who shot a 5-under 66 Thursday. "As far as being left out of the process, a lot of players were asked, just about everybody was given an opportunity.
"We had abysmal attendance at the player meetings. If you can't take the time to come to player meetings and voice your opinion, how else are we supposed to get it?"
And now all he hears and reads about is how the system isn't working.
"It's a little bit frustrating when the players complain because we all knew what was going to happen," he said. "I understand that not everybody likes to play four tournaments in a row. I don't love playing this many in a row. But it is what it is."
Ouch: You have to hand it to Arron Oberholser: the guy's not afraid of a little pain.
But after weeks of playing with injuries to both his hands, the pain finally became unbearable Thursday morning, forcing him to withjdraw from the BMW Championship after just nine holes with a fractured left hand.
"It's been hurting pretty consistently since the U.S. Open," said Oberholser, who will be out of action for at least three weeks. "I started to get some real bad tendinitis and I don't know if the fracture has gotten worse, but it's been a case where the stuff around it is starting to have to compensate."
Movers and shakers: Some of the "bubble boys" got off to a strong start in Thursday's opening round of the BMW Championship, and they'll need to keep it going if they want to be among the final 30 to advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta next week.
Among those making big moves was Jonathan Byrd, who owns the final spot in the FedEx Cup points standings. Byrd's 64 has him alone atop the leaderboard, a stroke ahead of Camillo Villegas (34th).
Lurking just a shot behind Villegas is Stewart Cink, who came into Lemont 32nd in points.
Thirty-year-old Ryuji Imada (54th), who has missed the cut in six of his last 10 PGA Tour stops, found the layout at Cog Hill to his liking, firing a 4-under 67, good for a tie for seventh.
Other big movers Thursday included Troy Matteson (44th) and Pat Perez (46th), each of whom posted rounds of 66.
He said it: Tiger Woods may be strong, but he knows he's no match for first- and second-round playing partner K.J. Choi. So, laughing Tiger, who'd win a bench-press contest?
"Oh, K.J., there's no doubt," Woods said. "I know he can squat a (heck) of a lot more than me. He can squat a car."