FBR CAPITAL OPEN

June 6, 2003

Rory Sabbatini

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome the second-round leader, Rory Sabbatini at 8-under, 134 for the tournament. Rory is 5-under, 66 today. Two top-10s this year, Pebble Beach and the Colonial, where you were the first-round leader there. Talk a little about your game this week so far.

RORY SABBATINI: I'm playing solid. I've kept the ball in play. And when I do get in trouble I get myself out of it with as much ease as possible.

TODD BUDNICK: 3-under, 5-under the course. A lot of guys are having a hard time going well out here. Talk about the condition conditions with the rain that's lengthened the golf course.

RORY SABBATINI: Definitely the course is playing longer than I ever have seen it before. I've only seen it once before, but it's definitely playing a lot longer. And I think in some respects it makes it easier in regards to hitting the fairways, but it also makes a lot of the pin positions very accessible.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your round real quick. You started off with a birdie on No. 10.

RORY SABBATINI: Yeah, 3-wood off the tee and then hit an L-wedge to about three feet, made the putt.

TODD BUDNICK: 13.

RORY SABBATINI: 13, I hit driver off the tee into the first cut of rough and hit a 5-wood from there on to the green, 2-putted.

14, hit 3-wood off the tee, hit a sand wedge to about two inches.

15, hit a 3-wood in the fairway, hit a 7-iron and plugged it in the right green-side bunker, hit it to about 15 feet and missed it.

17, hit 7-iron, hit it long left, chipped it to about 15 feet and missed the putt.

TODD BUDNICK: Came back with a birdie on 1.

RORY SABBATINI: Driver off the tee, hit sand wedge to about 12 feet and made it.

5, I hit 3-wood off the tee, hit sand wedge to about 12 feet and made it.

6, hit driver off the tee, hit a 3-iron just to the back of the green and 2-putted.

7, driver off the tee, hit an 8-iron just short right of the green on the fringe and chipped in.

TODD BUDNICK: About how far was that chip in?

RORY SABBATINI: About 60 feet.

TODD BUDNICK: Nice way to end the day with three birdies in the last five holes, that's nice going into the weekend.

RORY SABBATINI: I played solidly, I missed a couple of short birdie opportunities and made some pretty stupid bogeys out there, but it's going to happen. Overall I found that the course actually played very easy for me, and I really haven't had much difficulty out there. I'm still able to rely a lot on hitting 3-woods off the tee, and still hitting down there far enough that I can get accuracy out of the 3-wood, but still make it short enough for myself.

Q. Talk about what your thoughts are heading into the weekend, as far as weather conditions, they're pushing the tee times up earlier?

RORY SABBATINI: It's something that we play through all the time, it's going to happen and there's no way around it. I'm just going to go out there and continue to rely on hitting the ball in the fairway, and putting the ball on the greens. And that's about all you can do out there. The course has been playing very easy for me in regards to its difficulty throughout the field. But I don't see any real change in my game plan going into the weekend.

Q. When was the last time you were ahead in a tournament after two rounds?

RORY SABBATINI: Probably '99.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you.

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