Public Enemy No.1 - Interview with Rory Sabbatini

So, what is it that makes the World’s No.15 golfer Public Enemy No.1? Well, in a sport largely awash with vanilla, Sabbatini is a raging Neapolitan. Oh, and he has a bit of a mouth on him, too. Especially when Tiger Woods is within earshot. At the 2007 Wachovia Championship, third-round leader Sabbatini all but begged for a final round pairing with the World No.1.

His dream turned into the inevitable nightmare experienced by so many in the company of Woods on a Sunday afternoon. Sabbatini shot 74 while Woods closed the deal with a 69. But the following week, Sabbatini turned heads and kicked off a spat with Woods by stating that the World No.1 was “more beatable than ever”. Woods replied that he had won more times in 2007 than Sabbatini had won throughout his entire career. Ouch.

Sabbatini then put his name down to practise with Woods on the eve of the 2007 US Open. How’s that for chutzpah? But when Woods failed to show up, the zero majors winner still had the brass to interrupt the then 12-majors winner on the putting green to needle him about his no-show. Woods merely pointed out that he doesn’t play practice rounds the day before majors. At least that’s what Sabbatini says Woods said.

They fell out further at the end of last year when Sabbatini withdrew mid-tournament from the Target World Challenge hosted by Woods. It was probably just a coincidence that Sabbatini announced, after weeks of dodging media flak, that he would be donating his $170,000 cheque, for coming last, to a military charity that helps soldiers on duty in war zones keep in touch with their families. Then, strangely, Sabbatini was axed by Nike, which just happens to also sponsor Woods. That was probably just a coincidence, too.

So, as Woods takes the rest of 2008 off to fix his crocked left leg after his extraordinary victory at the US Open at Torrey Pines, it won’t be a huge shock if Sabbatini doesn’t get around to posting a ‘Get Well Soon, Tiger’ card any time soon.

Sabbatini claims his in-yer-face approach to golf, and the hullabaloo that seems to flair up around him, is all just a bit of fun and that he is misunderstood. “I probably kid 99% of the time,” he says. “Maybe that’s why people don’t understand me, because it’s a dry sense of humour. Trust me, it drives my wife nuts. Even she never knows whether I’m just taking the Mickey out of her or I’m being serious.”

Sabbatini grew up in Durban, South Africa, but went to Arizona State University and married Amy, a feisty Texan. Remember her? After Paul Casey said he “properly hates Americans” in the run-up to the 2006 Ryder Cup and that the States lacked culture, she wore a protest T-shirt in the galleries with the slogan “Stoopid Amerikan”. So, it’s not just Rory, then, who can’t keep his thoughts to himself. It is perhaps appropriate that Sabbatini says he feels like an adopted son of Texas – the Lone Star state. He’s not American and he doesn’t mix with the South Africans Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman and Retief Goosen, either. Sabbatini keeps himself to himself and travels to tournaments with his wife and children in a $500,000 motor home. “Having my family with me makes me less stressed out,” he says, “and it’s more relaxing than flying and staying in hotels.”

Chris DiMarco, another player who can’t help shooting from the lip, is perhaps not unexpectedly one of the few to speak up for the much maligned Sabbatini. “I think he’s really misunderstood,” DiMarco says. “He wears his emotions on his sleeve and sometimes says things he shouldn’t say. Sometimes if you’re truthful, the truth hurts, and sometimes the truth will stab you in the back.”

Sabbatini is a world-class player in the pack chasing Woods. He has four victories in 10 years on the US Tour, played in the 2007 Presidents Cup, and has amassed $17.2 million in prize money, which places him 29th on the all-time money list. But when he says he has designs on taking over the No.1 spot, you have to wonder if he is taking the Mickey again. “If you wanna be No.1 in the world,” he says, “you’ve got to challenge the No.1 in the world. You are gonna have to beat him.

Apparently, Tiger is a celestial being who can’t be touched,” he says. “I definitely think No.1 is possible.” As another rebel without a cause, John McEnroe, used to say: “You cannot be serious.” Woods is so far ahead of his rivals that World No.2 Phil Mickelson would have to win four times this year to take over at the top. Sabbatini, remember, is not even third or fourth or fifth in the world. He’s 15th. It is no wonder that Sabbatini rubs people up the wrong way.

And it is easy to see how Woods fails to see the funny side of Sabbatini’s verbal jousting. Even in Woods’ enforced sabbatical (break from Sabbatini?), the South African still has to fend off questions about his testy relationship with Woods. And he says he often has to bite his tongue and to try to ignore heckling from the galleries. “There have been times where I wanted to bury a few clubs in a couple of people,” he laughs. “But you’ve just got to realise that half of them are drunk, and the other half are entitled to their opinion.”

Bud Martin, Sabbatini’s manager, makes no apologies for his feisty client. “He wants to be the best,” Martin says. “A lot of guys walk around on eggshells worried about what they say. Rory is confident in himself.”

But the last word, as ever, falls to the defendant. “I am who I am,” Sabbatini says. “And that’s the way I’m leaving it.”

So, Rory, what is it with you and Tiger?
I am not afraid of Tiger. I understand that what separates him from other players is a mental barrier. But if you go out to battle believing you don’t have a chance, then you don’t have a chance. You have to believe you are just as capable of winning as anybody else. And you’ve got to stick to that because it really is the only way you’ll succeed.

Do you and Tiger get along?
Well, you know, we’ve never really been good friends. We’ve basically been acquaintances; that’s about it. We’ve never been living in the same circles. He’s well on the way to being probably the greatest player in history. I have a lot of respect for that. But the situation is you can only let it go so far before you’re just standing there watching him play instead of being out there competing.

So when you said he is more beatable than ever, then he gave you a hiding, do you think, heck, I wish I hadn’t said that?
Hey, no. Things I say about Tiger get turned around. I’ve never said anything negative about him. I spoke about the way he hit the ball in comparison to the Tiger we are used to. The Tiger that dominates, that doesn’t make mistakes. When he makes a lot of mistakes, he can be beaten. When he’s on top of his game, as he normally is, then he really is tough to beat.

Do you care that you have this bad guy image?
I don’t see myself as the bad guy. It’s funny that the media can create something and people can then take that to almost create your personality. It’s sad, it is. It’s sad. But, you know, if that’s the way people want to portray me, then I may as well let my bad guy flag fly.

Have you always been a rebel?
I would probably say so. But it’s not that I am anti-establishment. I am an individual and actually a very tolerant person. I just try to do things my may. I speak my mind. People always say they want something different. You get me, you get something different, and then they burn you for it. So what do you want? Do you want different or do you want the usual fraternal player out here? If you want your generic standard answers, hey, I can spend all day long here and talk generic answers with you. But that’s not the person I am. You know, if the situation continues where people continue to burn me and manipulate what I say, I’m just not going to bother talking.

What drives you?
I’m not worried about records or history. I just love the feeling of winning. My long-term goal is to win a major and get up there to the top.

Who were your heroes growing up in South Africa?
I loved the flair and creative ability of Seve Ballesteros. And the determination of Bernhard Langer for what he went through with his putting and the way he came back to do dominate again. Langer has a reputation as a slow player – which is another subject that got you headlines when you walked ahead of playing partner Ben Crane at the 2005 Booz Allen Classic on the US Tour. Ben is a friend but in the world we are living in, we still have to get our own job done. And when somebody else is doing something to affect us, we’ve basically got to do something about it. Unfortunately, over the years, not enough has been done to speed up play. So it has basically been left up to the players to take things into their own hands. Six-hour rounds are crazy in pro-ams. Nobody wants to sit there for six hours and watch golf on TV. You’ve got to get things done in four hours.

Those camouflage trousers you wore at the 2005 FBR Open certainly got you noticed, too. (Sabbatini wore them in honour of US war veterans.)
The PGA didn’t like them but we had a meeting and they actually approved a pattern of camouflage for me to wear. I like what Ian Poulter is doing. He’s got quite a flair for fashion. He’s gotta be the Elton John of golf (laughs). The clothes you wear can make you look like an individual and separate you from the rest of the herd.

Are you as fired up at home as you are on a golf course?
I pretty much like lounging around at home or at the lake house. I like to tinker around the house, changing light bulbs and fixing stuff. I know it sounds dull but at home I’m the handy man. I’m not an adrenaline junkie. I collect watches; I have about 30.

What characteristic do you dislike most about yourself?
I am very hard on myself. And very much a perfectionist. I don’t give myself enough leeway for error. And what characteristic do you dislike most in others? I don’t like people who say one thing to your face then turn around and say something behind your back. I would rather people be open, honest and direct rather than deceitful. And stand by what you say.

What phrases do you live by?
‘You lick the lollipop of mediocrity once, and you suck forever.’ I heard it somewhere and it’s just stuck with me. Psychologically, it’s important to feel the best if you want to be the best. That’s what gives me so much passion. And there is one phrase that my caddie and I say to each other: Safe lives and good swings.

Are there any words that you over use?
Yeah, but you can’t print them (laughs).