Dolch: Sabbatini heats up in Hawaii, returns to spotlight
By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
Rory Sabbatini and Hawaii seem to go together like fine wine and a hot dog.
Sabbatini is about as laid back as a heart surgeon. If they measured a golfer's walking speed along with his clubhead speed, Sabbatini would no doubt lead the PGA TOUR's pedestrian patrol.
The South African's tightly-wound personality doesn't seem compatible with the leisure lifestyle of the paradise that is America's 50th state. But his game has proven to be a nice fit with the land of the leis, evidenced by Sunday's runner-up finish to Geoff Ogilvy in the SBS Championship at Kapalua, Maui.
Sabbatini didn't capture the season-opening, winners-only event, but he sent a jolt through the tournament with a 10-under 63 that almost carried him from a six-shot deficit to his sixth career PGA TOUR victory. Had he birdied the par-5 18th hole, Sabbatini might have left Ogilvy too big of a climb when he had to make three birdies in his last 10 holes to successfully defend his championship.
Sabbatini knew he had to at least birdie the closing hole -- and his 10-foot putt lipped out -- so he settled for his second career runner-up showing at Kapalua (the other came in 2001 when he missed a 3 ½-foot putt at the 18th hole).
"The situation was you had to keep moving forward to put pressure on (Ogilvy)," Sabbatini said. "I had my opportunity, and unfortunately, it didn't pan out."
Sabbatini figures to have another opportunity to win this week when the PGA TOUR's first full-field event -- the Sony Open of Hawaii -- is held at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. He has finished second at the Sony Open two of the last four years and was 12th last season.
While players can make a great living on the PGA TOUR by finishing second every once in a while -- Sunday's check of $645,000 pushed Sabbatini's career TOUR earnings past $21 million -- he's never been a big fan of moral victories.
"I wasn't raised with the belief that you should be second best," Sabbatini said. "I was raised with the belief that if you set your mind to it, you can do anything you want. I'm a competitor. I want to win."
Yes, Sabbatini has made that point loud and clear during his 11 years on the PGA TOUR. Sometimes, his supreme confidence has put him in controversies, such as when he opined a few years ago that Tiger Woods was "as beatable as ever." Woods spent the next year seemingly trying to prove Sabbatini wrong every chance he could.
But if you focus too much on Sabbatini's gigantic belt-buckles and even larger personality, you'll miss the big picture: This 5-foot-10 dynamo remains one of the game's best ball-strikers.
He has finished in the top 20 on the TOUR's money list three of the last four seasons, including a fourth in the inaugural FedExCup in 2007. His runner-up showing Sunday moved him back into the top 50 in the world rankings (No. 43), although still a drop from his career-best No. 8 ranking in 2008.
Not that everyone appreciates his game. Sabbatini was snubbed by International Team Captain Greg Norman as a possible wild-card choice for last year's Presidents Cup. Conventional wisdom held that Sabbatini's brash demeanor may not work as well in a team room.
Don't expect Sabbatini to change his ways, though. "I am who I am," he once said, "and people either are going to appreciate it or they're not."
Sabbatini never stays down for long. He gets right back up, taps you on the shoulder and let's you know he's still around.
At 33, Sabbatini should be entering the prime of his career. If he can keep his putter working like he did in the final round at Kapalua, you'll be hearing a lot more from Sabbatini this year than about his sense of fashion or decorum. He could one of the players who gladly steps into the void left by Woods' absence.
Sabbatini doesn't like to waste time, you know.
Craig Dolch is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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