   
| Sabbatini teeming with confidence despite final round at Wachovia South African opens with 67 at THE PLAYERS  PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Rory Sabbatini freely admits he likes to be different. How else does one explain his oversized belt-buckle that featured a skull with diamond-studded wings at THE PLAYERS Championship on Thursday?  Rory Sabbatini has scored three top-fives in a row. (WireImage)
Those studs couldn't possibly have been real diamonds, right? "You never know," he grinned. Whether the were or weren't, the 31-year-old from South Africa was lucky to post a 5-under-par 67 before the fashion police arrived at TPC Sawgrass. It was just his second round in the 60s in eight trips here. Sabbatini's six-birdie, one-bogey round should come as no surprise considering his record in his last three events -- a tie for second at the Masters, followed by a tie for third at both the EDS Byron Nelson Championship and Wachovia Championship. It is a bit surprising, however, when you take into account his rather unspectacular record at TPC Sawgrass: Seven starts. Six missed cuts. "I obviously haven't had the best track record here the past couple years, but then again, neither had I at the Masters," admitted Sabbatini, who has missed the cut three times in five trips to Augusta National. "But it's a new year, a new start, and hopefully a new result." If that new result turns out to be a victory for the three-time PGA TOUR winner, it would be the most magnificent of his career, as this week's field features 48 of the top 50 ranked players in the world. Of course one of those 48 is the world No. 1, Tiger Woods. Sabbatini had a one-shot lead over Woods heading into the final round in Charlotte last week and made it no secret he wanted to play alongside Woods in the final round -- a statement many felt was cocky, which wasn't Sabbatini's intent. "I think a lot of people have commented in the past when people play with Tiger, they stand and watch the show and not participate," Sabbatini said. "I'm not someone to participate to watch the show. I'm there to participate to win. I want to be paired with Tiger in the last group on Sunday here this week." If that happens, Sabbatini will need to maintain his solid play and Woods will have to get a whole lot better after opening with a 3-over-par 75. That fact led a reporter to ask if Sabbatini wouldn't mind being paired with Phil Mickelson on Sunday instead, seeing as Lefty also opened with a 67. "No, I want Tiger," laughed Sabbatini. "Everyone wants Tiger. I want him to pick it up and we'll be up there late on Sunday." When the pair played together last Sunday, Sabbatini's 74 didn't get the job done, while Woods' 69 did. "The funny thing is after watching him play on Sunday, I think he's more beatable than ever," Sabbatini said. "I think there's a few fortuitous occasions out there that really changed the round for him. And realizing that gives me even more confidence to go in and play with him on Sunday again." Sabbatini's point, he said, was that despite the final-round 69 at the Wachovia Championship Woods really had to work for the win. "I've seen Tiger when he hits the ball well. And I've seen Tiger when there is not a facet of his game that you look at and you're not amazed," he said. "But I think Sunday he struggled out there. He had to battle for that win. And I think that made me realize, you know, he is -- I'd say as beatable as ever... "I've seen him when he figures it out. It's scary. I don't want to see that anymore. "I like the new Tiger. I'm waiting for him to have kids to really test his patience." With two young children of his own, Sabbatini's patience seems to be just fine on the course this year and he's oh-so-close to that breakthrough win of 2007. The patience had to be there on Thursday with winds gusting to 39 mph. "The conditions are tough out there," Sabbatini said. "It's going to test everyone's patience. You know, it's just one of those days where things seemed to happen for me just at the right time, a couple key shots and just kind of kept the round going. You know, if you don't have these key shots, it definitely makes it a lot harder and more of a grind out there." |
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