Rory Sabbatini had just made a birdie on 13, on Sunday at Augusta, and for a minute there he had the lead. Zach Johnson was behind him, Tiger Woods was behind him, and Sabbatini's playing partner, Phil Mickelson, was way behind him.
Lefty, the defending champion, was enjoying the Rory Sabo Show: the chomping on the Nicorette; the two waggles and let-'er-rip drives; the aggressive strut; the thick disco-era belt. And as Sabbatini went about his business, something occurred to Phil: The man was playing to win.
No oldtimey feel player had won a major since Payne Stewart in 1999, but Sabbatini was looking as if he could do it. First time in contention in a major, and he didn't look a bit scared, even with Tiger on the big board.
Last week, in a manner of speaking, the pattern continued. At the Players, Sabbatini showed he wasn't scared to give a truthful analysis of Tiger's game. It was probably not a smart thing to do, but at least it was entertaining.
The pros can be amazingly insightful about swings, courses, psyches, tendencies and one another. But almost everything they say for public consumption falls within the limits of a well-established code. For instance, to generalize, they don't like Johnny Miller as an announcer because he says what they're thinking but would never reveal.
Every so often, though, a pro lets something slip out. And that's what happened last week when Sabbatini was asked about Tiger.
The previous week, in Charlotte, Sabbatini was paired with Woods in the last group on Sunday, shooting a 74 to Tiger's lucky-break 69, the latter good enough to secure the 57th win of Woods's career.
Sabbatini's slip-up, his moment of candor, came after the first round of the Players, in which Woods shot a 75 and Sabbatini a 67. With the microphones on and the tape recorders running, he offered, in an accent that mingles his South African childhood with his Dallas adulthood, this gem: "I think Tiger's more beatable than ever. When people play with Tiger, they stand and watch the show and (don't) participate. I'm not someone to watch the show. I'm there to participate.
"I've seen Tiger when there's not a facet of his game that you're not amazed by. But I think on Sunday (at Wachovia) he struggled out there. He had to battle for that win. And I think that made me realize that he's as beatable as ever. I've seen him when he figures it out. It's scary. I don't want to see that anymore. I like the new Tiger."
It's a curious statement, given that Tiger has won 26% of his Tour starts, while Sabbatini has won 1%. But if you can get past that, the interesting thing about the quote is this: It's true. If you're watching closely, you've probably made this observation: Tiger is way more inaccurate with the driver than he was in his 2000 prime; he doesn't make the little ones as automatically; and his focus is not as hyperintense. He has other things in his life, and on his mind.
So how is it that Tiger has won nine of his last 13 events? Because he's still better than everybody else. And because, in various ways and for various reasons, he has a long list of players beaten before a shot is fired. Ernie Els is on the list, and so are Sergio Garcia, Stephen Ames and bunches of others. Every time Woods wins, the list grows.
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