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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 10, 2007

Rory Sabbatini

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

STEWART MOORE: We welcome Rory Sabbatini to the interview room here at THE PLAYERS Championship. Rory, 67 round today, you come off a straight Top-5 finishes. What's going well with your game right now and tell us how things went out there today.
RORY SABBATINI: I'm just feeling comfortable out there. I'd say I'm not doing anything particularly well except for scoring. And that's obviously the biggest thing out here. It doesn't matter how you hit the ball as long as you score well, and I seem to be able to do that of late.

Q. How difficult was it out there with the wind? People are saying it was really hard?
RORY SABBATINI: It is. It's extremely difficult out there, just the wind is picking up and gusting pretty hard and then it will die down completely.
You really have to be in complete control of shaping the ball and controlling the ball because you don't want a 40 or 50 yard distance in, obviously, distance suddenly because of the wind. You don't want to have a huge ray of disbursement with direction when it comes to the wind, also.
It's definitely putting a lot of test on your patience out there today.

Q. You mentioned changing your track record at the Masters. And obviously this is the best round you put together here. Is there anything particularly different or the maturation of your game or is there anything you can put your finger on this time around?
RORY SABBATINI: I think obviously The Masters gave me some pretty good energy to go out and obviously win some major championships now. I think it added a little fuel to the fire. You know, it's just -- I think we've really just let the golf swing come to the front and got the body out of the way and letting it happen. It's amazing when you do that it allows you to swing more freely and be a little more aggressive and a little more in control of the ball.

Q. Last year you got off to that great start, 6 straight, Top-20s, I guess. This year are you looking to kind of reverse that? A little bit of a slow start and now you're just going crazy?
RORY SABBATINI: Well, I just figure if I can ride this one out for probably another 8 to 10 years I can retire (laughter).

Q. Is it putting, you think, is the main thing, is that the difference when you get on a hot streak like this?
RORY SABBATINI: Obviously you always need the putter to work, regardless of how you hit the golf ball out there. If you're hitting the ball perfectly and putting awfully, you're going to have average rounds. The key part is just controlling the ball out there, putting it in the right spots and giving yourself as many opportunities as possible. When you do that crazy things happen.

Q. Some of the Golf Channel talking heads were having fun with your comment prior to the final round of Wachovia, how you wanted to be with Tiger in the final round, made it look like you were calling him out, when it seemed like more than anything you wanted the opportunity to play with him, because if you're playing with Tiger in the final round usually that means you're in a good position?
RORY SABBATINI: I think a lot of people have commented in the past when people play with Tiger, they stand and watch the show and not participate. I'm not someone to participate to watch the show, I'm there to participate to win. I want to be paired with Tiger in the last group on Sunday here this week.

Q. Even though he shot 75 today (laughter)? How about with Phil?
RORY SABBATINI: No, I want Tiger. Everyone wants Tiger. I want him to pick it up and we'll be up there late on Sunday.

Q. Have you become a belt buckle collector now? That thing you've got on right there wouldn't get through the airport?
RORY SABBATINI: Yes, it would. You have to go through the right security check point (laughing). No, I like wearing stuff like that. I like just being a little different. I am a little different than everyone else, and there's nobody -- why not have some fun out there?

Q. Those are aren't possibly real diamonds, are they?
RORY SABBATINI: You never know.

Q. Do you ever feel like you're misunderstood by your peers, that they may mistake confidence for cockiness?
RORY SABBATINI: You know what? Someone asked me yesterday, they said, you know, I guess there was a poll that came out in Sports Illustrated or whatever, that 25 percent of the guys on Tour say the player they wouldn't want to play with was me. And I don't know 25 percent of the guys on Tour, and there's probably 25 percent I wouldn't want to play golf with. You can pick your battles, but I'm not out here to make friends, I'm out to win golf tournaments.

Q. It didn't bother you at all?
RORY SABBATINI: You can look at it, you can let it affect you. But I know who my friends are out here and those are the guys whose opinions I respect.

Q. Ben voted for you.
RORY SABBATINI: I don't mind playing golf with Ben any day of the week. Ben is probably one of the most honorable people you'll meet. And I have absolutely no problem with Ben as a person. I enjoy his company and have fun with him.

Q. You play the final round, Tiger shoots what he does, you shoot what you do, hard not to have a chink in the confidence?
RORY SABBATINI: No, the funny thing is after watching him play on Sunday, I think he's more beatable than ever. I think there's a few fortuitous occasions out there that really changed the round for him. And realizing that gives me even more confidence to go in and play with him on Sunday again.

Q. Could you actually tell us where you got that belt? Do you remember where you got the belt?
RORY SABBATINI: I actually got it here in the match play out in Tucson this year.

Q. Did you go to this particular store to get it, or did you see it and say I want that?
RORY SABBATINI: Just happened to see it. And to be honest, I have no idea whether it's a men's or women's, but to me it doesn't matter, I like it (laughter).

Q. I was told, and did not hear it, that you had an entertaining conversation with XM Radio, and you used the David and Goliath analogy. Could you run that past me? Were you actually kidding or not?
RORY SABBATINI: Oh, no, I do a lot of kidding.

Q. Not everybody can tell when you're serious, that's why you get this --
RORY SABBATINI: Trust me, it drives my wife nuts. She never knows when I'm just taking the Mickey out of her or whether I'm being serious. I'd say I probably kid 99 percent of the time. Maybe that's why people don't understand me, because it's a dry sense of humor.

Q. Would you expound on why you think he's more beatable now than ever?
RORY SABBATINI: I just -- I've seen Tiger when he hits the ball well. And I've seen Tiger when there is not a facet of his game that you look at and you -- you're not amazed. But I think Sunday he struggled out there. He had to battle for that win. And I think that made me realize, you know, he is -- I'd say as beatable as ever.

Q. Given that, you see the struggle like that and see him win, does did make you wonder what will happen when he figures it out?
RORY SABBATINI: I've seen him when he figures it out. It's scarey. I don't want to see that anymore.
I like the new Tiger. I'm waiting for him to have kids to really test his patience (laughter).

Q. A couple of major champions have been known to play fast and get irritated when the pace of play slows down, Watson, Floyd, Calcavecchia, Daly. Is your pace of play the problem with some of your peers out there or are you slowing yourself down or is your tempo the same or what is your style on the course as opposed to your game?
RORY SABBATINI: I've just become self absorbed. I've become very narcissistic. I've fallen in love with myself and I just don't notice anybody else out there anymore.

Q. You're kidding, right?
RORY SABBATINI: (Laughing). Well, that's pretty good if you had to ask the question. Maybe I should be an actor.

Q. You were asked a minute ago if you were understood. Maybe you were underrated or underappreciated when it comes to the South Africans. There's a lot of focus on Goosen and Ernie. There's a lot of South Africans they mention and your name doesn't come up in the conversation.
RORY SABBATINI: Actually it's pretty amazing, I went from too young to be a young gun and too old within six months to be a young gun. Man, it's tough to find a happy medium out here. Trevor is a great player. Charl Schwartzel is a great player. There's a lot of great players coming out of South Africa. And I just figure I'd rather do the talking with the clubs than obviously having to worry about mentioning me on the air.

Q. What's it going to take to get noticed in that capacity?
RORY SABBATINI: I figure win this and another three majors and people will start paying attention.
STEWART MOORE: Thanks so much for your time.

End of FastScripts

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