A major attitude adjustment for Cink

For all the things it brought - $1.2 million, a five-year PGA Tour exemption, ownership of the coolest trophy in golf - it gave Cink something everybody wants and few possess: confidence in the year’s biggest tournaments.

“[Winning a major] certainly makes a difference between the ears of a golfer,’’ Cink said. “For me, for instance, I didn’t win any majors for about 50 starts. Then I won one, and now all of a sudden I feel like I can do it every time. It’s a huge confidence builder.’’

Taking the British in the manner that he did also helps. He wasn’t in the final group, didn’t sleep on a lead, and like most others, was relegated to a bit part as 59-year-old Tom Watson tried to rewrite golf history, taking the lead into the final round in search of a sixth Claret Jug.

But Cink didn’t blink, hovering near the lead as he played the back nine, which proved to be an up-and-down two hours: four birdies, three bogeys, two pars. The biggest birdie came on the 18th hole, which temporarily tied Watson for the lead. A birdie on No. 17 pushed Watson ahead by one, leaving Cink to only watch as Watson played the final hole, four strokes from becoming, by 11 years, golf’s oldest major champion.

Then, in a flash, tied again. An 8-iron approach shot from the middle of the fairway over the green, a poor first putt, a tentative, ugly missed putt for par. Suddenly, a four-hole playoff loomed, and Cink composed himself long enough to make a calculated decision: Time to go to the bathroom, sort of.

“I really didn’t want to be the one standing on the [first playoff] tee when Tom walked up and to hear that huge roar of applause,’’ Cink said. “I wanted to be the last one to walk out there. Because I knew they were going to be for Tom. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. So I just took a little bathroom break and it took me an extra 30 seconds, maybe a minute, to get there.

“I felt like it was the right thing to do competitively at the time. I wasn’t trying to ice anybody. I wanted to be the second one there.’’

It may not have played a role in the outcome, but Cink grabbed the lead on the first hole, birdied the last two, and won by six.

Now, he’s back on the major scene, changed forever. He tied for 10th at Hazeltine National in the 2002 PGA, but doesn’t have a very good record in this event, with a tie for third in 1999 (the Tiger Woods/Sergio Garcia duel at Medinah) his best finish in 12 starts. He missed the cut last year.

By design, he had a few weeks of downtime after winning at Turnberry. He blitzed through New York for a day, read the “Letterman’’ Top 10 list, but spent a long weekend at his lake house in Georgia, and a week in Montana at Glacier National Park. Away from the commotion, but not providing total anonymity.

“I’ve been identified in the airports and restaurants more, which is . . . it’s OK,’’ Cink said. “If you don’t like that stuff and you’re playing professional golf, then you’re kind of doing the wrong thing because that’s sort of the goal.’’

Cink had already established himself on the PGA Tour before the British with five victories, but even he had labeled himself an underachiever.

“I always felt like I could play better and produce more wins than I had done, but now with a major added to my list, it really goes a long way to erasing some of those thoughts,’’ Cink said. “It never bothered me that people might say, ‘Gosh, that Cink, he’s never won more than five tournaments? Wow.’ ’’

Not anymore. Now there are six wins. He’s seen in a different light - that’s another thing winning a major brings - and a victory this week would equal what Padraig Harrington did last year, when the Irishman swept the final two majors.

It also might influence how people view the 2009 British Open.

“I think many years from now people will look back and they’ll remember that Watson almost won the Open,’’ Cink said. “And it might take them a second, but I think they’ll remember that I ended up being the winner.

“I know in my heart what happened that weekend and I played really well and I was very proud. If they don’t remember me at all, I’ll remember it.’’