Sabbatini nails big PGA Tour win
Brad Morgan
28 May 2007
Rory Sabbatini claimed his fourth victory on the PGA Tour on Sunday, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to edge out Jim Furyk and Bernhard Langer for the Crowne Plaza International title.
After a number of near misses in 2007, including a runner-up finish at the US Masters, and thirds at the EDS Byron Nelson and Wachovia Championships, it's evident that Sabbatini has found his form, with those top results, plus his win, coming in the last six tournaments he has played.
It was a long final day, with the players having to finish their third rounds in the morning, after rain had disrupted the event over the first three days. It, thus, seemed almost appropriate that, when the South African star sank his winning putt, it was, once again, raining.
Brilliant third round
Sabbatini's score over the four rounds was 14-under-par 266, thanks mainly to a brilliant third round of eight-under-par 62,
which was just one shot off the course record. He trailed Furyk by six at the halfway mark, but that superb round pulled him level with 18 holes to play.
The playoff trio all started the final round on the same score, but 67s all round left them needing a playoff to decide the winner; it was the first ever three-man playoff at the tournament which was first held in 1946.
Scott Verplank was also 11-under after three, but he closed with a 71.
Speaking after his victory, Sabbatini, who has a home in Southlake, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said: "It just feels so good. It's great to win one here in my hometown. I had a huge amount a support out here this week."
Taking time off
Sabbatini, who had played five events in succession, was feeling the pace heading into the tournament, but there is surely no better pick-me-up than winning. The winner's cheque for $1 080 000 couldn't have hurt either. Nonetheless, he is taking the next two
weeks off.
That means the next outing for the world number 14 will be the US Open. A strong finish there could help him realise one of the goals he has set himself for 2007.
"I told my wife, by the end of the year I'm going to be top 10 in the world rankings, and I'm not going to let anything stop me," he said. If Sabbatini achieves that milestone he could join fellow South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in the top 10.
Other South Africans
Further down the leaderboard, Tim Clark, who, remarkably, is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory, and who led the tournament at the halfway mark on 11-under, slumped in the third round to a four-over 74, before finishing with a 69, to end on nine-under and a tie for twelfth.
Trevor Immelman missed the cut by one shot on 140, while David Frost, whose winning score of 265 in 1997 was the third best in the history of the event, missed the cut on 145.
Fulton Allem, who won in 1993
with the second best winning score ever of 264, struggled to 147, with rounds of 76 and 71.
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