Sabbatini continues remarkable run
IN: News | US PGA | Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 28 May 2007
A ten foot birdie putt at the first extra hole of a three man playoff at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at the Colonial has given the very much in form South African, Rory Sabbatini, his first USPGA Tour victory of the year and his fourth overall.
After all Sabbatini, Furyk and Langer had found the green at the par four playoff hole, Sabbatini holed his putt before Langer missed from shorter range and Jim Furyk had missed from 25 feet.
Sabbatini’s third round of 62, which he completed earlier on Sunday after weather and darkness forced it to be carried over from Saturday, was simply stunning. He had started on the 10th hole in round three after being well back at the completion of 36 holes but a front nine of 30, which included a bogey, set up a round which would sweep him into a share of the lead with Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer and Scott Verplank as they headed into this afternoon’s final round.
49-year-Langer defied the odds when he moved into the lead through nine holes at 14 under par but he began to struggle over the closing nine and did well to birdie the 17th, after a fine 8 iron to four feet, then salvage par at the last to join the playoff.
Sabbatini birdied his first two holes in round four but a bogey at the third saw he and Langer two ahead of Furyk who dropped a shot at the third. After Langer had taken a two shot lead at the turn, it appeared as if the veteran might be on track to win his first PGA Tour event since the 1993 Masters but it was not to be. His wavering run over the closing nine holes and a brilliant long range birdie putt by Sabbatini at the 13th gave the South African the outright lead at 14 under after Langer had three putted the 12th. Furyk would join the party with three birdies of his own over the closing nine holes including an all important one at the 16th and the trio headed back to the 18th tee to break the deadlock.
The win was the fourth top three in Sabbatini’s last six starts including a runner up to Zach Johnson at the Masters. He is now rivalling his countrymen Els, Goosen and Immelman for South Africa’s leading player.
Langer is only a few months away from becoming eligible to join the Champions Tour. As a major winner he will have access to the Campions Tour for at least one year and the manner in which he is now playing suggests that he will secure a license to print money in August.
I can recall caddying for the New Zealander Simon Owen when he won the German Open in Krefeld in 1974. In that event Owen played the first two rounds with a talented young German amateur named Bernhard Langer. 33 years on Langer has aged a lot less than some of us. He is in great shape and might still do some serious damage on the PGA Tour before heading to the Champions Tour
Pat Perez finished strongly with a closing nine of 32 to finish alone in fourth while Nathan Green, who had finished fourth on debut in this event last year, continued his love affair with the Colonial Country Club when he bounced back from a slow start to his final round with four birdies in five holes on his back nine to share fifth with Tom Lehman.
Of the other Australians, Rod Pampling extended his good record at the Colonial when he finished with a round of 65 which included a hole in one at his 7th hole and an eagle at his 10th hole. He finished in a share of 12th with Nick O’Hern and an improving Mark Hensby, making it a good day for the Australians who had five players inside the top twenty. The other was Peter Lonard who could only manage an even par 71 in round four on a day where that sort of score would lose ground.
Stephen Leaney was 36th, Steve Elkington 52nd and Mattie Goggin 58th.
The PGA Tour now heads to Dublin in Ohio for this week’s Memorial Tournament.
