FACTBOX: British Open winner Stewart Cink

(Reuters) - Factbox on American Stewart Cink, who on Sunday won his first major championship by claiming the British Open in Turnberry, Scotland:

* Born May 21, 1973, in Huntsville, Alabama.

STARTING EARLY

* Took up the game as a youngster when his parents, single-digit handicappers, left him at the driving range as he was not old enough to go on the course. * Turned pro in 1995, already married and a father.

TOUR SUCCESS

* His tour debut in 1997 yielded a win at the Travelers Championship.

* Best year was 2004, when Cink won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and finished fifth on the money list.

* Reached fifth in the world rankings in July 2008 after another Travelers Championship triumph the previous month.

RYDER CUP

* A Ryder Cup regular since 2002, Cink has played 15 matches, winning four and losing seven.

FIRST MAJOR

* By beating 59-year-old compatriot Tom Watson in a playoff, Cink claimed his first major title at the British Open.

(Compiled by Tom Pilcher; Editing by Sonia Oxley)