POTOMAC, Md. — When Rory Sabbatini won his first PGA Tour event at the 2000 Air Canada Championship, many considered the 24-year-old South African among the game's promising players. At the time, Sabbatini was the youngest winner since Tiger Woods won as a 20-year-old in 1996.
Nobody has mentioned Sabbatini in the same sentence as Woods--or among the tour's up-and-coming players--in the past three years. In fact, Sabbatini has hardly been talked about at all.
The equation changed Monday, when Sabbatini won the $4.5 million FBR Capital Open. He shot a 3-under-par 68 for a total of 14-under 270. A two-stroke victory margin became four when Duffy Waldorf was penalized for fixing some chewed-up grass in the 12th fairway.
The controversy surrounding Waldorf was the imperfect ending to a bizarre week at TPC at Avenel in which players were allowed to lift, clean and place their shots from start to finish because of the wet conditions.
All that didn't detract from Sabbatini's performance.
"It's hard to put into words right now, it's been a long time since I had this feeling," said Sabbatini. "It's great to finally get that second win."
Instead of finishing in sole possession of second place, Waldorf dropped into a three-way tie for second with Fred Funk and Joe Durant at 10 under. Waldorf was within a stroke of the lead when he was informed by tournament director Mark Russell on the 16th tee that the situation was under review.
According to the Rules of Golf, it is an infraction for a player to repair the ground within a "reasonable distance" of the line of flight of his shot. Waldorf took a bogey instead of a birdie on 12, then wound up making bogey on the par-4 16th.
He appealed the ruling but lost, costing him $150,000 in prize money.
Sabbatini and Waldorf distanced themselves from a self-destructive group of contenders on the back nine when both made eagles on the par-5 13th hole. Sabbatini chipped in from 100 feet away and Waldorf, who had reached the green in two, made a 15-foot putt.