Rory Sabbatini put the icing on what has already been a tasty cake in 2006 when he held out strong challenges from Adam Scott, Fred Couples and Craig Barlow to win the Nissan Open, his third USPGA Tour victory.
His record in 2006 now reads one win, two runner up placings and three other top twenties in six starts and he now takes a huge lead on the money list with the winning today taking him well beyond $US2 million, almost US$800,000 clear of his nearest rival.
It has been quite a turnaround in 2006 for Sabbatini, who appears to have overcome his reputation for hot headedness and has adopted a new look attitude on the golf course in 2006. It is clearly paying dividends.
Adam Scott put up a tremendous defence of his title when he burst from the pack in the final round to all but catch the winner. Scott had indicated two weeks ago at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth that he was keen to win a tournament from behind as so many of his wins have been as a front runner. He might not have won today but he will benefit from knowing he can do it or at least go close. After a birdie then bogey start today, Scott reeled off seven birdies in thirteen holes from the fifth but was not able to apply the ultimate pressure when he failed to add another at the last.
As Scott was finishing his round, the leading trio of Sabbatini, Fred Couples and Craig Barlow were still out on the course some five holes behind. Sabbatini retained a two shot lead through the turn but at the 12th, despite a fine bunker shot, he missed a four footer for par and he shared the lead at that point with Couples who had birdied the 11th and parred the 12th to move to 13 under.
At the fifteenth, Sabbatini and Couples pulled their second shots from long range at the par four well left and when they failed to get up and down and Barlow holed a four footer after a magnificent four iron and four players were then tied at 12 under.
At the par three 16th, both Barlow and Couples missed the green before Sabbatini, posing on his tee shot, saw it finish five feet from the hole. It was a crucial shot at a crucial time. He moved to 13 under and had a one shot lead over Scott and two over Couples and Barlow, who had both bogeyed the hole.
All three players missed their birdies at the 17th and with Scott waiting on the practice fairway, Sabbatini found the right hand rough with his tee shot. He hit a solid iron to the middle of the green although with a back left flag he still had to negotiate a very steep uphill putt from 40 feet or so. He did just that and when he tapped in for par he was the winner by one over Scott with Barlow holing a good six footer for par to take third outright after Couples had three putted from long range.
Lee Westwood and John Rollins shared fifth.
For South African, Sabbatini, who attended the University of Arizona and now resides in Texas, it was his third win on the PGA Tour coming after victories in Canada and Phoenix. He appears to have discovered a vein of consistency like never before.
This was a week where South Africans were very much a factor on the leaderboard. Early on the final day not only was Sabbatini controlling the tournament but Tim Clark and Trevor Immelman were in the hunt and Ernie Els was finishing off a round of 67. This of course does not include Retief Goosen who was not around in this week. The South Africans strike rate at the top of professional golf is, to say the least, impressive.
Amongst the Australians other than Scott, Geoff Ogilvy was 19th, Rod Pampling 45th, Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley 51st, Peter Lonard 61st and Mark Hensby and Steve Elkington 68th.
The PGA Tour splits this week for the Accenture Match Play at La Costa and the Tucson Open events.
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