2004 PGA TOUR Media Guide
2004 PGA TOUR Media Guide
2004 PGA TOUR Media Guide
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RORY SABBATINI (SAB-ih-TEE-knee)EXEMPT STATUS: 2003 tournament winner (through 2005)FULL NAME: Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 160BIRTHDATE: April 2, 1976BIRTHPLACE: Durban, South AfricaRESIDENCE: Southlake, TX FAMILY: Wife, Amy; Harley Aiden (8/28/03)EDUCATION: University of ArizonaSPECIAL INTERESTS: Fast cars, playing cards, moviesTURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1998 Q SCHOOL: 1998SECTION 2 / PLAYER BIOS<strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> VICTORIES (2): 2000 Air Canada Championship. 2003 FBR Capital Open.OTHER VICTORIES (1): 2003 WGC-World Cup [with Trevor Immelman].BEST 2003 <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> FINISHES: 1—FBR Capital Open; T5—Bank of AmericaColonial; T9—Las Vegas Invitational; T10—AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, 84Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania.2003 SEASON: Posted a career-high five top-10s, including his second career win andearned more money ($1.6 million) than in any of his first four seasons on <strong>TOUR</strong>…Wincame at the FBR Capital Open in June. Four-stroke margin was largest margin of victoryat this event since Tom Byrum’s five-stroke win in 1989. Held second- and third-roundleads. Only player in field to post four rounds in the 60s and second player in 2003 to wina Monday finish. Saturday’s third round was washed out and players were forced to play18 holes on Sunday and Monday to finish the tournament…First top-10 finish was T10 atthe AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am…Next one did not come until May, a T5 at theBank of America Colonial. Held first-round lead after opening 6-under 64…Tied hisprevious career-high in top-10 finishes (4 in 2002) with a T10 at the 84 Lumber Classic ofPennsylvania…Tied his career-low mark with a 63 in the first round of the Valero TexasOpen…Final top-10 finish of season was T9 at Las Vegas Invitational, posting four of fiverounds in the 60s…Teamed with countryman Trevor Immelman to win the World GolfChampionships-World Cup at Kiawah Island, SC by four strokes over England’s JustinRose and Paul Casey.CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2002: More than half of season’s earnings and three of his fourtop-10s came during four-week stretch (Phoenix Open to Nissan Open), which included aT2 at the Nissan Open, one stroke behind winner Len Mattiace. 2001: Began season with69-69-65 to take two-stroke lead at Mercedes Championships. Closing 72 left him onestroke behind winner Jim Furyk. Missed three-foot putt on 72nd hole denied playoffopportunity…Earned T2 finish, one stroke behind Bob Estes in the Invensys Classic at LasVegas. 2000: With win at Air Canada Championship, the 24-year old became the youngestplayer to win on the <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> since 21-year-old Tiger Woods won the 1996 Las VegasInvitational. The victory made him the tournament’s fourth first-time winner in its five-yearhistory. Trailed Grant Waite by three strokes after 54 holes. Holed a 25-foot birdie putt onNo. 17 to go a stroke ahead of playing partner Mark Calcavecchia. Added 30-foot birdieputt on final hole for victory…Had one-stroke lead through 72 holes at Bob Hope ChryslerClassic. Closed with 68 to finish one stroke behind Jesper Parnevik…Ranked third inEagles (87.9 holes per eagle). 1999: Had a successful rookie campaign on <strong>PGA</strong><strong>TOUR</strong>…Held 36-hole lead on his 23rd birthday at BellSouth Classic, and finished T3 worth$145,000…Earned second third-place finish of season at B.C. Open…Ranked fourth onthe <strong>TOUR</strong> in Driving Distance with an average of 292.7 yards per drive. 1998: Earned his<strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> membership by finishing 41st at <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> National QualifyingTournament…Won Southern Arizona Open.PERSONAL: Started playing game at age 4…Recruited to University of Arizona at age18…Was youngest member of <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> in 1999 at age 22 when season started…Neverhad a lesson until January 2000, when he started working with Dean Reinmuth…Adoreshis two miniature dachshunds, Chloe & Zoe.<strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> CAREER SUMMARY PLAYOFF RECORD: 0-0Year Events Played Cuts Made 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Earnings Rank1999 27 13 2 2 5 $381,322 1082000 26 16 1 1 3 7 1,262,535 362001 23 13 2 3 3 1,038,590 522002 23 13 1 4 6 936,664 682003 27 20 1 5 6 1,604,701 41Total 126 75 2 4 2 17 27 5,223,810<strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> TOP <strong>TOUR</strong>NAMENT SUMMARYYear 00 01 02 03MastersCUT CUTU.S. Open CUT CUTBritish Open T54 T53<strong>PGA</strong> 77 CUT CUT 68THE PLAYERSCUT CUT CUT CUTWGC-Accenture Match PlayT33WGC-NEC InvitationalT51NATIONAL TEAMS: WGC-World Cup (2), 2002, 2003.PLAYER STATISTICS2003 <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> STATISTICSScoring Average ------------------70.84 (70)Driving Distance ------------------293.3 (44)Driving Accuracy Percentage --62.9% (138)Total Driving ------------------------182 (76)Greens in Regulation Pct. ------63.7% (137)Putting Average--------------------1.788 (124)Sand Save Percentage ----------53.1% (49)Eagles (Holes per) ----------------239.1 (115)Birdie Average --------------------3.73 (66)All-Around Ranking --------------743 (95)Scoring Avg. Before Cut --------70.94 (91)Round 3 Scoring Avg. ------------71.30 (140)Final Round Scoring Average --71.65 (140)Birdie Conversion Percentage--31.0% (55)Par Breakers ------------------------21.1% (71)MISC. <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> STATS2003 Low Round/Round:63–Valero Texas Open/1Career Low Round/Round:63–2 times, most recent 2003 ValeroTexas Open/1Career Largest Paycheck/Finish:$810,000–2003 FBR Capital Open/1GENE SAUERSEXEMPT STATUS: 2002 tournament winner (through <strong>2004</strong>)FULL NAME: Gene Sauers HEIGHT: 5-8 WEIGHT: 150BIRTHDATE: August 22, 1962BIRTHPLACE: Savannah, GARESIDENCE: Savannah, GA FAMILY: Wife, Tammy; Gene Jr. (1/23/89), Rhett (7/16/90),EDUCATION: Georgia Southern University Dylan Thomas (8/30/93)SPECIAL INTERESTS: Snow skiing, hunting, sport fishing TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1984Q SCHOOL: 1983Nationwide Tour Alumnus<strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> VICTORIES (3): 1986 Bank of Boston Classic. 1989 Hawaiian Open. 2002 AirCanada Championship.NATIONWIDE <strong>TOUR</strong> VICTORIES (1): 1998 South Carolina Classic.BEST 2003 <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> FINISH: T10—Mercedes Championships.2003 SEASON: Struggled to regain winning form of 2002, finishing 159th on moneylist…One top-10 in 30 starts, at season-opening Mercedes Championships, where hefinished T10 with three of four rounds in the 60s.CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2002: Voted <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> Comeback Player of the Year…Jumpedinto top 100 in earnings for first time since 1995, thanks to a victory at Air CanadaChampionship after more than 13 years without a <strong>TOUR</strong> win. Criss-crossed North Americaprior to winning Air Canada Championship. After top-10 performance at Permian BasinOpen (Midland, TX) on the Nationwide Tour, returned home to Savannah, GA. Gainedacceptance out of the past champion category at Air Canada, and flew to Vancouver.Luggage and clubs did not arrive until late Wednesday afternoon, and he was unable toplay a practice round. In only his fourth <strong>TOUR</strong> appearance of year, earned third career<strong>TOUR</strong> victory with rounds of 69-65-66-69—269. Held one-stroke lead after 54 holes overRobert Allenby and Peter Lonard, and recorded a bogey-free round on Sunday to stave offrunner-up Steve Lowery by one shot. Two-putted from upper tier of 72nd green for par.“The toughest two-putt I’ve ever had,” Sauers said. First-place check of $630,000 was thelargest paycheck of his career, and topped his previous <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> season-best of$374,485 in 1990. Span between 1989 Hawaiian Open victory and 2002 Air Canada title2-132 / <strong>2004</strong> <strong>PGA</strong> <strong>TOUR</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> WWW.<strong>PGA</strong><strong>TOUR</strong>.COM