What they said: Rory Sabbatini

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MARK WILLIAMS: Rory Sabbatini, thanks for joining us, a sensational 10 birdies today. You come up a shot short by the looks of it. A magic day for you. I heard a rumor that you were here a little bit earlier in the week before the tournament started playing some of the locals early in the morning, just talk us through that and talk about today's round.

RORY SABBATINI: We came over on the 14th. It's something we do every year, come over early. I spend a little family time. I get to come out here and play some golf. I don't mind if I tee it up and just come out here and fill in a spot with a group wherever I came.

MARK WILLIAMS: How many times have you played before the week?

RORY SABBATINI: I'd say probably six or seven times prior to the tournament.

MARK WILLIAMS: Any interesting characters?

RORY SABBATINI: Yes, obviously there were a few, but good times. It's always a good chuckle out there.

MARK WILLIAMS: Before we have questions, did you have a number in your head today before you went out thinking if you shot something you might win?

RORY SABBATINI: Jokingly I said to my wife last I was going to come out today and shoot 10-under today and see what happens.

Q. So you thought 10-under was a realistic out on this golf course today?

RORY SABBATINI: Well, as funny as it sounds, Lucas Glover should have done it the first round even with the double bogey. So we knew it was out there. The other situation being I was hitting the ball well all week and just needed to get the putter going. And the putter showed up early today. It's amazing how things start to get a little easier out there when you get off to a good start.

Q. Rory, what did you hit in on 17?

RORY SABBATINI: A 5-iron.

Q. Secondly, which of the birdies on the back 9, you had 5 in a row and a couple of them were birdie holes, which were the bigger ones do you think got you into the mix of things?

RORY SABBATINI: I'd say probably 11 was a bigger one, a tough pin today tucked left with a left-to-right wind. That one there just kind of jump started a good string of birdies there. Obviously another key hole on the back was 13. 13 is always always an interesting par-4. It can make or break a round out there. I made a good 20 foot putt. Sometimes you get one or two things like that happening it can really get that momentum to continue going.

Q. Could you have gotten to 18 in two, was it the wind?

RORY SABBATINI: It wasn't so much the wind. I miss hit my tee shot, I hit it a little thin. I wasn't in a position where the risk reward would have justified me going for the green. I had to take the miss and hit it out to the right and try to get it up and down. I thought I had a pretty good opportunity for that and it just didn't pan out.

Q. Did you ever feel like you were stressed in any way during the round, like you were trying, in a bad situation, but got yourself out of it?

RORY SABBATINI: No, actually other than a really crummy second shot on 16, actually everything pretty much went according to planned today.

Q. What was crummy about 15, I know where you were and where you wound up.

RORY SABBATINI: I don't know, I think the power switch was off when I hit the shot. I think I hit the shot and wasn't really thinking. I never focused in on the shot until I knew what I was doing. It was one of those ones where it was almost too easy and you were into good a position and forgot to focus and concentrate on that. I only had 72 yards to the hole and to miss the green from that distance. Not even the amateurs I played with would have liked that shot.

Q. Was that who the group was applauding you on 9, your amateurs from playing up here?

RORY SABBATINI: Those were some of the folks that I actually played in the Pro-Am with and just some people that I know from Maui here.

Q. You had a great up and down like you had your group behind you?

RORY SABBATINI: No, the people here are always have receptive to golfers. It's always a great place to come and play. So, obviously, it's my goal every year to get to play in this event. Obviously, my hats off to SBS for having such a great events and Gary Planos's staff and the golf course superintendent, they did a phemonenal job. Nancy Cross just always steps up to the plate and knocks one out of park and Gary is very luckily to have her.

Q. Did you watch the rest of the round?

RORY SABBATINI: Yes, I watched part of it. I was busy kind of getting things organized. Life goes on, we got to get to with what do. We had to figure out what we are going to do there.

Q. You know what Geoff has got left, I was curious if you saw any shots of his that you thought was the key or what hurt your position, getting home in two on 15, whatever?

RORY SABBATINI: I didn't see what exactly he did on 15. Obviously 18, the second shot, he did what he had to do. You can't be stupid on a hole and try to bite off too much in a situation. He did what he needed to do, put it out to the right. You have the hole to the right to use and he did it. He played very smartly. We all know Geoff is obviously an excellent golfer but his strategy around the golf course is impeccable.

Q. On 16 if you would have had your power switch on, what would you expect, where would you get that ball in regard of the hole position?

RORY SABBATINI: I would say another four feet, make another birdie there. At that point things were going really well. You know, again, it is golf. You are going to make mistakes out there. Unfortunately under circumstances it happened at the wrong time. But, you know, the situation is, normally those circumstances normally try and induce that even more than normal.

Q. (Inaudible)?

RORY SABBATINI: I swear I'm going to make a putt on 18 one of these days to win, or at least get in a playoff. If I was here playing every single year, I would be as content as could be. Obviously, I would love to win this tournament, but just being here it's obviously a great field. Everybody here is justified being here. They played well. They earned their right to be here. To be playing against them in the first round of the year, it's fun. It's an enjoyable place. You couldn't ask for better weather, better scenery, a nicer place to start the year.

Q. You came last year?

RORY SABBATINI: I came last year, I have been here the last seven consecutive years.

Q. Rory, when you got to 21 and Geoff got to 19 or 20 quickly, were you thinking on 17 or 18, I need to post 22 or 23, was that going through your mind?

RORY SABBATINI: I said to my caddy on the 17th tee, we need to birdie the last two holes to have a chance. Obviously at that point Geoff had a lot of holes still to play. Obviously the was playing was such that you knew he wasn't going to go backwards. It was a situation where you had to keep moving forward to put the pressure on. Obviously 17, was a great hole, but I had my opportunity and unfortunately it didn't pan out. Still ultimately he had to hit the golf shots to win it and he did.

Q. What did you hit into 17?

RORY SABBATINI: I hit 5-iron.

Q. From?

RORY SABBATINI: I know the adjusted number. The adjusted number was like 203 or something. It was down 15, probably 218.

Q. Did you grow up playing meters instead of yards?

RORY SABBATINI: I grew up playing meters but I've been playing yards since I was 18 years old. I probably played more golf with yards than meters.

Q. Did you find that you had to make any changes this week because of the grooves?

RORY SABBATINI: No, not really adjustments. I never used square grooves with my irons. But with wedges it makes it more interesting. The biggest difference I noticed was obviously this week is hard to tell because the greens were soft and receptive. But, you know, out of the rough really, especially around the greens, the ability to miss on the short side and be able to recover with ease is no longer there. You have to be able to create something with it. I will say it's definitely going to be even more important now to make sure you miss on the correct side.