Sabbatini upset by crowd abuse
Rory Sabbatini has spoken out about heckling after grabbing the win which takes him top of the American golf tour.
The 29-year-old South African, known for not hiding his feelings, said after his one-shot victory at the Nissan Open in Los Angeles: “There were a lot of very snide remarks. It’s sad when you have that situation. I’m an avid believer that you don’t wish for somebody else to do bad, but all I can say is that it’s common.”
There was one particular comment – he refused to reveal what it was – that really got under Sabbatini's skin as he battled with popular American Fred Couples.
But he added: “It almost motivated me to go in the crowd. It’s nothing to do with Freddie. He was one of my idols growing up and is one of the nicest guys. But give other guys a chance – don’t be rude.”
At the 13th hole Sabbatini thought he had got out of trouble and onto the green when he heard the cheering after his second shot.
But after taking out his putter he then discovered that the shouts were for the fact that his ball had rolled down a slope into rough.
“That was the Fred Couples support team,” he commented.
Former Masters champion Couples had just drawn level, but a birdie from Sabbatini at the short 16th was the decisive moment in the event.
And with Couples having three bogeys in the last four holes to slip to fourth it was defending champion Adam Scott, round in a brilliant 64, who finished second.
Sabbatini came in for a lot of criticism last June when he protested about the slow play of playing partner Ben Crane by stomping off ahead of him rather than having a quiet word.
He states that most of the comments he received from other players afterwards were supportive but, as Colin Montgomerie can testify, fans can make life uncomfortable if you give them a reason to dislike you.
Three times a winner now on the US Tour – four if you add his World Cup win with Trevor Immelman in South Carolina in 2003 – Sabbatini also feels bitter about some adverse publicity he has received.
Again he chose not to go into detail, but it made him glad he came through a tough final day at Riviera after holding a four-stroke lead after the second and third rounds.
“There are people who have taken pops at me and I didn’t want to give them any more ammunition. They seem to have their opinions and it’s pretty sad,” said Sabbatini.
“I’m just focusing on what I am doing and listening to the people whose opinions I value. It’s paying off.”
With earnings of more than $2m (€1.7m) already this year – his win followed two runners-up finishes – nobody can argue with that.
Sabbatini described his closing 72 as “definitely the hardest round of golf I’ve ever played.” But having gone into the day nine ahead of the young Australian he held on.
Lee Westwood's performance meanwhile - he finished joint fifth - moves him up from 17th to eighth in Europe's Ryder Cup world points list. Only five places in Ian Woosnam’s side come off that table, though.
This week the circuit moves on to the Accenture world match play championship in San Diego – or for those outside the top 64 to the Chrysler Classic in Tucson.
Luke Donald has high hopes for the match play as well after a 12th-place finish at La Costa, but Justin Rose will try to get his act together again in Tucson after the disappointment of seeing a share of the first-round lead at the Nissan turn into a 39th-place finish along with Greg Owen.
Paul McGinley’s closing 74 left him even further down the field at 51st.
