In response to my comprehensive look in Sunday's paper at the PGA Tour's policy to not announce player discipline and penalties, Rory Sabbatini's wife, Amy, contacted me by email to say Sabbatini has not been suspended by the PGA Tour.
Sabbatini has been involved in a couple incidents this year that could have warranted some type of disciplinary action. My article pointed out that Sabbatini, though playing in the U.S. Open and British Open, will go at least seven weeks without participating in a PGA Tour-run tournament, and whether he is taking a break or has been suspended by the tour, we wouldn't know because of the policy. The seven-week stretch goes from the second round of the HP Byron Nelson Classic on May 27 through this week's British Open, which is run by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, and includes a withdrawal from The Memorial the week before the tournament.
Amy wrote: "Rory Sabbatini has not been suspended, nor does he usually play in The Memorial tournament, he only was to play in order to qualify for the Open. His stellar play did indeed get him in so it was unnecessary. If you look at his past 7 seasons, he hardly ever plays in the summer as he chooses to spend it with his family."
The Memorial would be a natural tournament for Sabbatini to take off considering he has won the two events that precede it -- the Byron Nelson and Crown Plaza at Colonial -- and you assume he's want to play in them not only because of his success but because they're in his home state of Texas.
Sabbatini, a native of South Africa, did play in the Memorial last year and tied for 12th. Prior to that he last played in 2006. He used to play regularly in Jack Nicklaus' event, missing it only once in seven years from 2000-06, and he's had succes in it as well, finishing inside the top 30 in his last five appearances.
A look at Sabbatini’s playing record over the past several years indeed shows he seldom plays in June and July. Counting the number of tournaments that ended in June and July: last year Sabbatini played twice including the U.S. Open; each year from 2007-2009 he played in only the U.S. and British Opens; in 2006 he played four times including the two majors; in 2005 he played five times including the two majors.
Amy Sabbatini also said her husband was taking time off to lower his divisor number for the Official World Golf Ranking. I can't speak to her stance in that regard, I'm only relaying the message there. The way I understand it, once you hit the maximum divisor number, you can't hurt your ranking by playing any more. It is a complicated process, however, so he could very well have his own reasons for not playing with regard to world rankings. He's currently No. 47.
