Rory Sabbatini
Encyclopedia
Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini (born 2 April 1976) is a South Africa
n professional golf
er.
Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban
, South Africa
. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona
, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour
in 1999. He was the youngest member of the tour that year.
for the first time, with a high of 8th. He spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 in 2007 and 2008.
Sabbatini tied for second at the 2007 Masters Tournament
and the 2007 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
. He won the Par 3 Contest at the 2008 Masters Tournament
.
Sabbatini has represented South Africa in the World Cup five times and won the event with Trevor Immelman
in 2003.
In his first Presidents Cup appearance in 2007, Sabbatini had a 0-3-1 record, as the International team was defeated by the United States team.
In May 2009 Sabbatini captured his fifth PGA Tour title by winning the HP Byron Nelson Championship by two strokes over Brian Davis. He broke the tournament record for scoring with a score of 269 (-19), beating the previous record of 270 (-18).
In March 2011 Sabbatini won his sixth PGA Tour Title at The Honda Classic with a one stroke victory over South Korea's Y. E. Yang. Sabbatini entered the final round with a five stroke lead over the rest of the field, helped by a course record-equalling 64 on day two. He started his final round in solid fashion with an early birdie at the 3rd hole, however as the round progressed he made bogeys at the 9th and 14th, meaning that Yang was able to cut that lead to just one, with a spectacular tee shot on the par-three 15th that landed 18 inches past the pin. On the next hole though, Sabbatini holed a clutch birdie putt to tighten his grip on the title and played out the 17th and 18th in even-par to hold on for a one stroke victory. This win also secured him a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament
.
, apparently frustrated by the slow pace of play by his partner, Ben Crane
, Sabbatini finished the 17th hole and walked over to the next tee, leaving Crane behind to complete the hole by himself. He received heavy criticism, and some sympathy, and later apologized for the incident. Sabbatini also made waves following the Wachovia Championship
in May 2007 when, after leading the field by one stroke after day three and then giving up five strokes to Tiger Woods
to lose the tournament on Sunday, he proclaimed that Woods was "more beatable than ever." In the final round of the 2007 Bridgestone Invitational, he had a fan removed who heckled him with questions about Tiger Woods. Then, in December of the same year, more controversy was stirred when he withdrew from the Target World Challenge
, an off-season event hosted by Tiger Woods, becoming the only player in history to withdraw from that event.
PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in 1999. He was the youngest member of the tour that year.
Professional career
During the first decade of the 2000s, Sabbatini had five PGA Tour wins; he finished 2006 placed 12th on the money list. In September 2007, he reached the top 10 of the Official World Golf RankingsOfficial World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
for the first time, with a high of 8th. He spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 in 2007 and 2008.
Sabbatini tied for second at the 2007 Masters Tournament
2007 Masters Tournament
The 2007 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5-8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 71st Masters Tournament, and the first major contested in the 2007 season...
and the 2007 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour...
. He won the Par 3 Contest at the 2008 Masters Tournament
2008 Masters Tournament
The 2008 Masters Tournament was a golf competition held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 10-13. It was the 72nd Masters Tournament, and the first major of the 2008 season. Trevor Immelman won with a score of -8 . Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for 20th at +3...
.
Sabbatini has represented South Africa in the World Cup five times and won the event with Trevor Immelman
Trevor Immelman
Trevor John Immelman is a South African professional golfer and winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament.-Early years:Immelman was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Born into a golfing family , he took up golf at the age of five. He attended Hottentots Holland High School...
in 2003.
In his first Presidents Cup appearance in 2007, Sabbatini had a 0-3-1 record, as the International team was defeated by the United States team.
In May 2009 Sabbatini captured his fifth PGA Tour title by winning the HP Byron Nelson Championship by two strokes over Brian Davis. He broke the tournament record for scoring with a score of 269 (-19), beating the previous record of 270 (-18).
In March 2011 Sabbatini won his sixth PGA Tour Title at The Honda Classic with a one stroke victory over South Korea's Y. E. Yang. Sabbatini entered the final round with a five stroke lead over the rest of the field, helped by a course record-equalling 64 on day two. He started his final round in solid fashion with an early birdie at the 3rd hole, however as the round progressed he made bogeys at the 9th and 14th, meaning that Yang was able to cut that lead to just one, with a spectacular tee shot on the par-three 15th that landed 18 inches past the pin. On the next hole though, Sabbatini holed a clutch birdie putt to tighten his grip on the title and played out the 17th and 18th in even-par to hold on for a one stroke victory. This win also secured him a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament
2011 Masters Tournament
The 2011 Masters Tournament was the 75th Masters Tournament and was played from April 7–10 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the first major championship of the 2011 season. South African Charl Schwartzel won the 2011 event by two strokes over Adam Scott and Jason Day.Eight players held a share...
.
Controversy
Several events have transpired to cause criticism to be leveled at Sabbatini. In the final round of the 2005 Booz Allen ClassicBooz Allen Classic
The Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast...
, apparently frustrated by the slow pace of play by his partner, Ben Crane
Ben Crane
Benjamin McCully Crane is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Crane was born in Portland, Oregon. He was age 5 when his grandfather taught him how to play golf, and he grew up playing at the nearby Portland Golf Club where Ben Hogan won the 1945 Portland Open...
, Sabbatini finished the 17th hole and walked over to the next tee, leaving Crane behind to complete the hole by himself. He received heavy criticism, and some sympathy, and later apologized for the incident. Sabbatini also made waves following the Wachovia Championship
Wachovia Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship, known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship, is a PGA Tour golf tournament. The event is held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in early May. It was first played in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and has attracted some of the top...
in May 2007 when, after leading the field by one stroke after day three and then giving up five strokes to Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
to lose the tournament on Sunday, he proclaimed that Woods was "more beatable than ever." In the final round of the 2007 Bridgestone Invitational, he had a fan removed who heckled him with questions about Tiger Woods. Then, in December of the same year, more controversy was stirred when he withdrew from the Target World Challenge
Target World Challenge
The Chevron World Challenge is an offseason golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, which takes place each December at Sherwood Country Club, a course designed by Jack Nicklaus, in Thousand Oaks, California...
, an off-season event hosted by Tiger Woods, becoming the only player in history to withdraw from that event.
PGA Tour wins (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Sep 2000 2000 PGA Tour The 2000 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to November 12. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, nine, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Air Canada Championship Air Canada Championship The Air Canada Championship was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1996 to 2002. It was played at the Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1996 as the Greater Vancouver Open... |
1 stroke |  Grant WaiteGrant Waite Grant Osten Waite is a New Zealand professional golfer.Waite was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand and is now a U.S. citizen. He has one PGA Tour victory, the Kemper Open in 1993, and finished second to Tiger Woods at the 2000 Bell Canadian Open.Waite won the New Zealand Open and the Trafalgar... |
|
| 2 | 9 Jun 2003 2003 PGA Tour The 2003 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 9. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
FBR Capital Open | 4 strokes | Joe Durant Joe Durant Joseph Scott Durant is an American professional golfer.Durant was born in Pensacola, Florida. He attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, where he majored in Marketing and graduated in 1987. At Huntingdon, he was a three-time NAIA All-American and won the 1987 NAIA Championship.Durant... , Fred FunkFred Funk Frederick Funk is an American professional golfer.Funk was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1980 with a degree in law enforcement. He turned professional in 1981, but worked as a golf coach at his alma mater from 1982 to 1988; he did not... , Scott HochScott Hoch Scott Mabon Hoch is an American golfer, who represented his country in the Ryder Cup in 1997 and 2002.Hoch was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University before graduating in 1978. He also played on the winning U.S. team in the Eisenhower Trophy... , Duffy WaldorfDuffy Waldorf James Joseph "Duffy" Waldorf, Jr. is an American professional golfer.Waldorf was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended UCLA where he was on the golf team from 1982-1985... |
|
| 3 | 19 Feb 2006 2006 PGA Tour The 2006 PGA Tour was the last season of the PGA Tour before the major reorganization of the season brought about by the introduction of the FedEx Cup in 2007. After being challenged by Phil Mickelson in the first half of the year, when Mickelson won his second straight major at the Masters and was... |
Nissan Open Nissan Open The Northern Trust Open, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, first played in 1926. Formerly known as the Nissan Open and originally known as the Los Angeles Open, it is played annually in February in Pacific Palisades, California. The tournament has been contested at the Riviera... |
1 stroke |  Adam Scott |
|
| 4 | 27 May 2007 2007 PGA Tour The 2007 PGA Tour season ran from January 4, 2007 to November 4, 2007. The season consisted of 47 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in... |
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been played annually in May in Fort Worth, Texas on the course at the Colonial Country Club. It is one of five invitational tournaments held on the PGA Tour... |
Playoff | Jim Furyk Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing... ,  Bernhard LangerBernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
|
| 5 | 24 May 2009 2009 PGA Tour The 2009 PGA Tour season ran from January 8 to November 15. The season consisted of 46 official money events, one of which was canceled. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour.... |
HP Byron Nelson Championship | 2 strokes |  Brian Davis |
|
| 6 | 6 Mar 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
The Honda Classic | 1 stroke |  Y. E. YangYang Yong-eun Yang Yong-eun , or Y. E. Yang, is a South Korean professional golfer currently playing on the PGA Tour, where he has won twice, including most notably the 2009 PGA Championship where he held off the challenge of Tiger Woods during the final round.... |
PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004 | Buick Classic |  Sergio GarcíaSergio García Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings... ,  Pádraig HarringtonPadraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
Garcia won with birdie on third extra hole Harrington eliminated with par on second hole |
| 2 | 2007 | Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been played annually in May in Fort Worth, Texas on the course at the Colonial Country Club. It is one of five invitational tournaments held on the PGA Tour... |
Jim Furyk Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing... , Bernhard LangerBernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
Won with birdie on the first extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | CUT | T36 | T2 | CUT | T20 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT | T71 | CUT | T51 | T58 | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | T54 | DNP | T53 | T66 | CUT | T26 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
77 | CUT | CUT | 68 | CUT | T74 | CUT | CUT | T39 | T67 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | T30 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | T54 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT | T74 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
R64 | DNP | DNP | R16 | R64 | R32 | R64 | R64 | R64 | DNP |
| Cadillac Championship | DNP | DNP | T21 | DNP | T41 | T35 | T70 | T53 | DNP | T28 |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
DNP | T51 | T2 2004 WGC-NEC Invitational The 2004 WGC-NEC Invitational was a golf tournament that was contested from August 19–22, 2004 over the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio... |
T28 | T36 | T2 2007 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The 2007 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was a golf tournament that was contested from August 2–5, 2007 over the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio... |
T27 | T45 | DNP | T48 |
| HSBC Champions | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | T45 | DNP | T29 |
- DNP = Did not play
- QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
- "T" = Tied
- Yellow background for top-10.
- Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Team appearances
- World Cup (representing South Africa): 2002, 2003 (winners), 2004, 2006, 20082008 Omega Mission Hills World CupThe 2008 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 27 to November 30 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 54th World Cup. 28 countries competed and each country sent two players. The team purse was $5,000,000 with $1,600,000 going to the winner. The Swedish team of...
, 20092009 Omega Mission Hills World CupThe 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 26 to November 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 55th World Cup. 28 countries competed as two player teams... - Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
(International Team): 20072007 Presidents CupUnited States 19½ - International 14½The 7th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2007 between September 27 and September 30. They were played at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île Bizard, Quebec, Canada. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 19½–14½.-Format:On the first day six...