Sabbatini focuses on FedExCup after Norman's decision

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LEMONT, Ill. -- The disappointment was obvious, but the man who is normally one of the most outspoken players on the PGA TOUR took the high road.

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Rory Sabbatini had just shot a 66 that gave him a share of the lead with Steve Marino after the first round of the BMW Championship. He hadn't hit the ball so well since he won the HP Byron Nelson Championship in May.

So while the fiery South African was clearly hurt not to be one of Greg Norman's two Captain's Picks for the International Presidents Cup team two days ago, he made it clear he has more immediate concerns right now.

Sabbatini wants to make the field for THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. And to do so, he needs to reverse the slide created by missed cuts in the first two events of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

Sabbatini started the Playoffs ranked 17th and safely within the top 30 who advance to the finale at East Lake. He dropped to 26th after the first early exit and now finds himself on the outside looking in at No. 35 with the pressure on.

"(I) obviously didn't play very well my last two weeks, but it's been a frustrating couple weeks, even maybe for a couple months," Sabbatini said. "Just been hitting the ball well and just haven't been able to score, and ultimately in golf it's not how you hit it, it's how you score.

"So I was just trying to think backwards, and (it) just ... was taking a little bit of wear on me. ... These things tend to break out of their cycles, and it was nice to get out there today and actually have a nice fun, relaxing round of golf."

Sabbatini, who made seven birdies on Thursday, hasn't has a lot of those kind of days since that win in Dallas earlier this year, though.

After finishing 12th or better six times in his first 13 starts, he hasn't posted anything higher than a tie for 34th in the last eight. Thursday's round of 5 under was just his seventh score in the 60s in his last 25 rounds.

Assured of the luxury of a two-year TOUR exemption after he won the HP Byron Nelson Championship Sabbatini took the opportunity to tinker with his swing. He wanted to make it more compact and the adjustment has taken more time than he expected.

"But the funny thing is, the past couple weeks I've felt like I've been really striking the ball well and just haven't been capitalizing on anything,'" Sabbatini said. "It's a fickle game. You can go out there and hit good putts all day long, but if they're all burning the edge, it does you no good. The situation being, I just haven't been getting the ball in the hole, and today was a refreshing day."

Sabbatini's recent spate of sub-par play couldn't have impressed Norman, who ended up going with teenage phenom Ryo Ishikawa, who has won three of his last six starts on the Japan Tour, and an old standby in Aussie Adam Scott.

Sabbatini, though, had been among the top 10 automatic qualifiers until Korea's Y.E. Yang won the PGA Championship and bumped the South African down to No. 11. While he made what appeared to be a veiled reference to U.S. Captain Fred Couples picking Nos. 11 and 13, Sabbatini took responsibility for his situation when questioned about the picks.

"Unfortunately, there was no Freddie Couples in Greg Norman, but the situation is such -- obviously I've struggled over the past couple weeks, couple months, and if I'd been playing well, I'd have something to complain about," Sabbatini said.

"But the situation being is the International Team has got a lot of very qualified players on it. We all know any player is as good as their last performance. Hopefully they'll go in there and have a good week and hopefully come back with the Cup.

"I think the U.S. has had their hands on it a little too long."

Sabbatini, who played in the 2007 Presidents Cup in Montreal, said he was disappointed that he didn't receive a call from Norman. But he wouldn't get caught up in second-guessing the pick of Scott, a three-time Presidents Cupper who missed 10 of 18 cuts and only twice finished higher than 36th this year.

"I think anyone in this room will admit that on any given stage Adam is definitely one of the top five players in the world," Sabbatini said. "He does have a wealth of experience. He's a fantastic player. You know, the good news is he will be fresh and ready to go.

"Adam, really, he's a fantastic player, and I wouldn't want to play him in match play because he's a tough player. I'm sure he'll go out there and put his best foot forward and try and help the team as much as he can.

Sabbatini had just hoped that the last couple of months wouldn't overshadow his entire year's body of work.

"But the situation is such, as I said, if I'd been playing well over the past couple weeks and didn't get picked, I might have something to complain about," he reiterated. "I'm here this week; I'm going to focus on this."

And let his clubs do the talking instead.