Establishment (Stewart Cink) vs. Youth (Louis Oosthuizen)

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One of the themes for the 2011 PGA TOUR season is the competition involving the younger players and the established ones. How will the veteran players -- those with significant TOUR experience and long-standing championship pedigree -- fare against the hungry up-and-comers who are looking to nudge their way into the TOUR's elite?

Each week, PGATOUR.COM will select two players and analyze their chances heading into the tournament. We'll then track which player has the better score for his team, and keep a running team tally throughout the year.

This week for the John Deere Classic, we've selected Stewart Cink and Louis Oosthuizen. The players account for the last two British Open wins -- Oosthuizen in 2010 and Cink in 2009. Both Cink and Oosthuizen are strong all-around players, but have seen their games go different directions since their British Open victories.

Matchups Game

Cink vs. Oosthuizen: Who do you like?

It all started at the Travelers Championship and will run through THE TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola (Sept. 22-25), the PGA TOUR is introducing a new, easy Matchups Game on Facebook. Pick the winner of five head-to-head matchups (including Choi vs. Scott) for a chance to win prizes. Matchups Game preview: John Deere Classic

To play the Matchups Game, please click here

ESTABLISHMENT AGE: 38 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Stewart Cink's 15th year on the PGA TOUR. Cink has won six times on TOUR, his last win coming at the 2009 British Open. OVERVIEW: Cink has consistently been one of America's top performers during his lengthy PGA TOUR career. He's represented the United States in the last five Ryder Cups and the last three Presidents Cups. He's also the TOUR's most popular player on Twitter, where he enjoys a following of more than one million fans. But Cink has struggled with his game since winning his first major, the 2009 British Open. The Georgia Tech graduate has only one top-10 finish this year, a tie for ninth at the Wells Fargo Championship in early May. His game was sluggish in 2010 as well. While he made 19 of 23 cuts, he only finished in the top 10 three times. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Cink last played in the John Deere Classic in 2005 and finished tied for 29th. He tied for eighth in 2004 and missed the cut in his first year on TOUR, 1995. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Cink has seen a dip in his Driving Distance and Strokes Gained Putting statistics since 2009, which could account for his poor play. Players usually shoot ultra-low scores at this week's venue, TPC Deere Run, which might not be to Cink's advantage. Steve Stricker has won the last two John Deere Classics with scores of 26-under and 20-under. Cink's six TOUR wins have been at tougher courses like Harbour Town Golf Links, Firestone Country Club and Turnberry, where he posted a winning score of 2-under par.   YOUTH AGE: 28 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Louis Oosthuizen first year on the PGA TOUR. He has won seven times internationally, including this year's Africa Open. OVERVIEW: Oosthuizen's 36-hole score in last year's British Open was the lowest of any player in the history of the event at St. Andrews. He built his lead to four shots after a third-round 69, and expanded his margin of victory to seven shots with a final-round 71. Many golf fans were caught off guard by Oosthuizen's runaway victory, but his peers on the European Tour were not. He had a distinguished amateur career as a member of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, which helps finance and educate talented young South Africans golfers from families of limited resources. He won the Open de Andalucia de Golf shortly before the British, finished 9th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational just after the British and won again this year at the Africa Open in January. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: This is Oosthuizen's first appearance in the John Deere Classic. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Oosthuizen showed good form at the U.S. Open at Congressional, where he finished tied for ninth. Oosthuizen stands 5-foot 10-inches and only weighs 160 pounds, but still ranks 38th on TOUR in driving distance. He's also first on TOUR in approaches from 100-125 yards -- prime birdie distance. His 16-under finish at last year's British and the Africa Open shows he can take it low, which he'll need to do this week at TPC Deere Run to compete.

Here are the results of the previous matchups this year

Score/Finish Tournament   Score/Finish   Steve Stricker 20 under (T-4th) Hyundai TOC Dustin Johnson 14 under (T-9th)   Ernie Els 4 under (T-42nd) Sony Open Jason Day 8 under (T-20th) Stewart Cink 5 under (MC) Bob Hope Classic Bubba Watson 7 under (MC) Davis Love III 5 over (MC) Farmers Insurance Open Rickie Fowler 5 under (T20) Angel Cabrera 7 under (T-49th) Waste Management Phoenix Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (MC)     Padraig Harrington 2 over (T63) AT&T Pebble Beach National Dustin Johnson Even (T55) Jim Furyk 1 under (T35) Northern Trust Open Louis Oosthuizen 3 over (T62)     Vijay Singh 9 over (MC) The Honda Classic Anthony Kim 7 over (MC) Luke Donald 11 under (T6) WGC-Cadillac Championship Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (T31)   Sergio Garcia 7 under (T15) Transitions Championship Matteo Manassero 6 under (T20)   Phil Mickelson 1 under (T24) Arnold Palmer Invitational Graeme McDowell 9 over (MC)     Fred Couples Even (T60) Shell Houston Open Gary Woodland 10 under (T13) Tiger Woods 10 under (T4) The Masters Martin Kaymer 6 over (MC)   Justin Leonard 2 under (T30) Valero Texas Open Anthony Kim 7 over (MC)     Jim Furyk 5 under (T21) The Heritage Jason Day 7 under (T9) David Toms 7 under (T18) Zurich Classic of New Orleans Brandt Snedeker 2 over (MC)   Phil Mickelson 10 under (T9) Wells Fargo Championship Bubba Watson 3 under (T48)     Tiger Woods Withdrew THE PLAYERS Championship Charl Schwartzel 6 under (T26) Paul Goydos 5 under (T10) Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Jason Day 3 under (T31)     Vijay Singh 5 over (T27) HP Byron Nelson Championship Nick Watney 1 over (T8)   Jim Furyk 8 over (MC) the Memorial Tournament Bubba Watson 1 under (T42)   David Toms 5 over (MC) FedEx St. Jude Classic Camilo Villegas 8 under (3)   Ernie Els 6 over (MC) U.S. Open Graeme McDowell 2 under (T14)   Padraig Harrington 4 under (T63) Travelers Championship Aaron Baddeley 11 under (T24) K.J. Choi 11 under (2nd) AT&T National Adam Scott 9 under (T3)