City honors British Open winner

FLORENCE - To the best of his recollection, Stewart Cink has been involved in only one parade in his life.

"When I was at Forest Hills (school), I was in the band and we marched in a parade - I think it was Bradshaw's homecoming," he said Tuesday night from his home in Duluth, Ga. "But that's the only one I remember being in."

On Friday, Cink will be front and center in his second career parade appearance as he serves as the grand marshal for the Florence High School homecoming parade as part of weekend "Stewart Cink Days" activities celebrating his victory in the British Open in July.

In addition to his appearance in the 3 p.m. parade, Cink will be recognized in pregame ceremonies at the Decatur-Florence football game at Braly Stadium on Friday night.

On Saturday, a reception, autograph signing and golf clinic will be held at Florence Golf and Country Club, the course where Cink learned to play. The reception is free and open to the public.

A trumpet player then and a PGA Tour golf star now, Cink said he's eager to come home to share his triumph with some of the people who have supported him throughout his professional career.

And yes, the famed claret jug - the prize for winning the 138th British Open - is making the trip with him to Florence.

"I have the claret jug, and one of the responsibilities of mine is to show it off a little to the people who have meant a lot to what I've been able to accomplish," Cink said. "The city of Florence is home, and this is a great opportunity to reconnect with a lot of my friends. Since my family moved, the Healing Place Charity Championship (which he hosts at Turtle Point each summer) is the only thing I'm really tied to now. It's a good opportunity for me to come home and make that reconnection."

Cink has barely had time to catch his breath since winning the British Open, and the past two months have been extremely busy. He's coming off a winning performance with the U.S. team at the Presidents Cup matches in San Francisco, and on Monday, was in Fort Worth, Texas, for sponsor-related activities with Nike, his main sponsor. Among those activities were commercials shoots that will air in 2010.

Lucas Glover, the reigning U.S. Open champion and one of Cink's best friends on tour, was with Cink in Fort Worth.

"Lucas told me that when he won the U.S. Open, they had a 'Lucas Glover Day' in his hometown," Cink said. "He said I was lucky - I was getting a Stewart Day and a Cink Day."

Gregg Dewalt can be reached at 740-5748 or gregg.dewalt@TimesDaily.com.