Tom Watson walked up the 72nd fairway of Turnberry facing an up and down from just off of the green to win his sixth Open Championship at the age of 59. 

An hour before that, though, Stewart Cink holed a twenty foot putt on the same hole for birdie to become the clubhouse leader at -2.  It capped off a final nine holes in which Cink made four birdies.  Against three bogeys, Cink turned in a final round of 69.

Return to the 72nd hole with Watson, whose putt from off the green left him with a seven footer for the championship.  With a stroke fully aware of the moment, Watson missed and left the outcome of the Open in the balance of a four hole playoff.

That playoff meant completely different things to Watson and Cink.  Cink felt fortunate to get into the playoff on the heels of his strong back nine.  Watson must have felt deflated and mentally spent to have to endure four more holes of pressure, hopes, and competition.  It appeared obvious after the first hole of the playoff.  Even with an incredible par on the second playoff hole - the par 3 6th - Watson was physically tired.  After a tee shot that drifted way left on the third playoff hole, Watson's fade had been decided.  It would be Cink to win the Claret Jug.

In the end, Cink may well be remembered as the spoil to Watson more than the man that won the tournament.  He could become this generation's Jack Fleck.  Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in an 18 hole playoff at the 1955 US Open at Olympic Club.  He won that playoff by three shots over Hogan - 69 strokes to Hogan's 72.  Having finished second at the '55 Masters, that Open was supposed to belong to Hogan.  Fleck would go on to be reviled by fans for years because of what he stole from Hogan.

More than that, Fleck would never win another major championship.  The closest he would come is a tie for third in the 1960 US Open at Cherry Hills.  He would win just two more tournaments in his PGA Tour career.  Jack Fleck is viewed almost six decades later as a fluke champion.  Hogan would only win one more PGA Tour event in his career - the 1959 Colonial.  He would never contend in another major after another runner up at the Open in the following year.

Jack Fleck and Ben Hogan in 1955

Stewart Cink is not Jack Fleck.  Cink had five PGA Tour wins before this triumph.  He was rookie of the year in 1996.  He had been in this position before - famously blowing a chance to win the 2001 US Open at Southern Hills.  This time, Cink made the clutch putt on the 72nd hole.  He played the playoff in two-under par.  He may well go on to win another major championship.

Yes, Cink did defeat a man experiencing an incredible comeback story like Watson.  After all, Hogan came back from a life-threatening car accident.  Watson faced nothing of the sort, but rather, battled time to get on the cusp of a ninth major championship - which would tie the mark that Hogan indeed set.

Though there are parallels, Stewart Cink will not be remembered in the same way that befell Jack Fleck.  He may not be remembered much as the star of this Open Championship, but he certainly will not be the villain.