Sabbatini Makes Strides On Augusta's Big Stage

AUGUSTA, Ga., April 8 -- Rory Sabbatini's best previous finish in 21 major championships was a tie for 26th in last year's British Open, with 12 missed cuts, so he was not complaining Sunday evening after completing a final round of 69 that allowed him to finish in a three-way tie for second place at the 71st Masters.

"Obviously, it's a very special moment," said Sabbatini, a native of South Africa with three wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2003 FBR Open at TPC Avenel. "One of my goals this year was [to] improve on my performance in the majors. This is a great start and something hopefully to build on. To be able to play the way I did, it's just an amazing feeling."

Sabbatini actually had a share of the lead when he made a remarkable eagle at the 570-yard eighth hole, sinking a 60-foot putt that looked to have about 30 feet of break when it finally found the cup. When he birdied the 13th hole, he also tied for the lead, but bogeys on two of his next three holes ultimately ended his chance to win, despite a 25-foot birdie putt at the 18th for a share of second place.

"I was surprised when I got [his second shot 2-iron] up there," Sabbatini said of his putt at No. 8. "I think I had about 255 yards to the hole. I was relieved and disappointed at the same time. I practiced that putt a lot on Monday at the back of the green to get a sense of how it fed down there. So I had a good idea of where I needed to put it in order to control the speed."

Mickelson's Explanation

Phil Mickelson offered his hometown newspaper an explanation of what happened when Masters officials asked him to address a call from a television viewer who said Mickelson might have violated a rule in his second round when his golf bag cast a shadow over his golf ball at the 18th tee. If he had broken the rule, he could have been disqualified after the second round.

Mickelson and his caddie, Jim Mackay, met with tournament competitions committee chairman Fred Ridley and the rules committee Saturday morning, and last year's champion told them there was no intent to violate rule 14-2, which prohibits a player from using anything to interfere with the elements.

In the San Diego Union-Tribune, Mickelson said he told Ridley that when Mackay placed his bag down on the tee, it aligned with the shadow of a spectator, with both shadows on his ball.

"I told [Mackay] to leave [the bag] there because he was a shadow," Mickelson told the newspaper. "If the guy moved, I wouldn't notice it. Had I moved the bag specifically or asked the guy to move, what have you, it would have been sheltering from the elements. I told Fred Ridley what happened. He watched it on video. He said, 'That's not a penalty.' "

Mickelson, only four shots off the lead when he started play Sunday, took himself right out of the tournament with a triple bogey on his first hole after finding the fairway bunker on his drive and leaving a shot in a greenside bunker. He posted 77 and 11-over 299, his highest score in a major championship.

"Even after I made triple, I felt like if I could get back to even by the turn, I'd have a chance," he said. "I don't feel like I played that well, certainly not like I wanted. I'll take a couple of weeks off and get ready for the Players Championship and U.S. Open."

Rose Not Sure How to Feel

Englishman Justin Rose (73) was only a shot off the lead after making birdies at the 15th and 16th holes, but a poor drive at 17 led to a double bogey that left him in a tie for fifth with Jerry Kelly at four over 292.

Asked if he was kicking himself or patting himself on the back for his best finish in a major, Rose said: "I don't know yet. All I know is that I felt very calm and comfortable and hit some great shots under pressure. I was happy with the way I ground it out today."