ESPN.com - Golf Online - Tour Championship 2000 - Local stars have split results

Associated Press
Thursday, November 2

ATLANTA -- Two of the local boys had a good day at East Lake during the first round of the Tour Championship. The other two struggled.

David Duval, who went to college at nearby Georgia Tech, was one shot behind leader Ernie Els after a 5-under 65. Davis Love III of Sea Island, Ga., was tied for third with a 67.

But Stewart Cink, who also went to Georgia Tech and is a member at East Lake, and Franklin Langham, a University of Georgia alumnus, were at the other end of the field. Cink struggled with a 73, Langham was even worse at 75.

According to Love, Cink's struggles began when his driver was broken while hooked up to a robotic machine that tests a club's length and trajectory.

Cink struggled off the tee, forcing him to play from the rough time and time again.

"Stewart usually is a very consistent driver of the ball," Love said. "He hit a couple of good ones on the back with that (new) driver, so maybe it is not always the driver, but the confidence in the driver.

"He could have shot anything today and he hung in there and grinded it out."

Love's only victory on a home-state course came at the 1997 Buick Challenge, held at Callaway Gardens.

"Obviously, it would mean a little more to win at home, in your home state, especially in a big tournament like this," Love said. "Down the stretch the last day, it would be a lot of fun because maybe I'd give the fans something to get excited about."