When it comes to nicknaming people, Tiger Woods channels his inner hockey player, simply adding an “-ey” to end the of someone’s first or last name. Sometimes, though, the GOAT can flash a little more creativity than that.
Like last week at the Masters, where one of Woods’ longtime competitors Stewart Cink made a hole-in-one at the 16th hole on Friday. The roars reverberated through the property, a pleasant reminder that this was a real deal, full capacity Masters once again, something we hadn’t seen since Woods’ victory there in 2019.
“That [2019] was the last time for me that I experienced having the patrons (at the Masters) like this, and it’s exciting,” Woods said after his round on Friday, right before mentioning Cink’s ace and dropping an all-time nickname for his old Ryder Cup teammate.
“It’s inspiring. It’s fun to hear the roars, to hear the hole-in-ones. I think Kitchen made one the other day. To hear that roar down there at the bottom on 16, just to hear that excitement of what this tournament brings out.”
Kitchen! Like the kitchen sink/Cink, get it? Yeah, you get it. A nice changeup from the usual Tiger nicknames, like “Stewy” or “Cinkey.”
Unfortunately, Woods did not come up with it himself, according to Cink, who ruined the damn story on Tuesday at Harbour Town, where he’s set to defend his RBC Heritage title this week.
“Well it’s been something that people called me ever since I was little. Ever since I can remember,” Cink said. “Tiger thinks he started that, but he did not start that.”
The nickname, as Cink went on to explain, dates back to his childhood in Florence, Alabama, where he played in a few team events with a guy named Tim Kitchens.
“Everybody just thought that was the funniest thing that Kitchens and Cink were playing together. And I was 13, 14 years old when that happened, people been calling me that for years. Tiger’s always called me that, it’s just kind of a funny nickname, Tiger’s got nicknames for everybody just like we have for him and everybody else too. It’s is part of the locker room banter.”
Tiger does have nicknames for everybody, but none quite as good as Kitchen. Oh well, can’t be the best at everything.