Rory Sabbatini

— It wasn't merely allergies that were bothering Tiger Woods on Friday. An afternoon in the damp chill had golf's top draw battling some serious congestion as darkness settled over Muirfield Village. Not that he didn't have reason to smile. A three-under-par 69 propelled Woods within one stroke of leader Rory Sabbatini at the Memorial Tournament's midway point, moving into weekend contention for the first time since he romped at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two months ago. You know the old adage: Beware the sick golfer.

— It wasn't merely allergies that were bothering Tiger Woods on Friday. An afternoon in the damp chill had golf's top draw battling some serious congestion as darkness settled over Muirfield Village. Not that he didn't have reason to smile. A three-under-par 69 propelled Woods within one stroke of leader Rory Sabbatini at the Memorial Tournament's midway point, moving into weekend contention for the first time since he romped at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two months ago. You know the old adage: Beware the sick golfer.

Rory Sabbatini followed an unconventional par with four consecutive birdies on the way to a season-best six-under-par 64 and a share of the second-round lead Friday with John Mallinger at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas. Mallinger eagled both par fives at the TPC Four Seasons and made a 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole for a 65 to match Sabbatini at eight-under 132.

Rory Sabbatini began the day with a big lead, turned back a challenge on the back nine and shot an even-par 70 Sunday for a one-stroke victory in the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Sabbatini made a two-foot par putt on No. 18 to finish at nine-under 271. He earned his first PGA Tour title since the 2009 Byron Nelson Championship and sixth overall. Y.E. Yang birdied the final hole for a closing 66 to finish eight under. Jerry Kelly , who played with Sabbatini and Yang in the final threesome, shot a 67 and took third at seven under.

The playoffs arrived on the PGA Tour and delivered a first-round leader in Rory Sabbatini, a brash South African who loves the idea of going head-to-head and is not afraid to speak highly of his chances no matter who's in his way. Too bad Tiger Woods wasn't around Thursday at the Barclays. Sabbatini, whose best year in golf has been highlighted by barbs directed at the world's No.

Meanwhile, seven shots ahead of Annika Sorenstam, Rory Sabbatini claimed the first-round lead at the Bank of America Colonial tournament, just not the spotlight. Sabbatini's six-under-par 64 on a rain-softened Colonial layout Thursday was good enough for a one-shot lead over Mark Calcavecchia and Patrick Sheehan. Dan Forsman and Jesper Parnevik are two shots behind.

Rory Sabbatini met one goal Saturday. He gets another shot at Tiger Woods. Sabbatini got his mistake out of the way early at the Bridgestone Invitational, settling down after a double bogey to salvage a two-over-par 72 and a one-shot lead over Woods, a five-time winner at Firestone. Woods dropped out of a share of the lead with a bogey on the 18th hole, but he still managed a 69 and left himself in good shape to win this World Golf Championship event at Akron, Ohio, for the third straight year.

Rory Sabbatini continued to make a difficult Firestone golf course look like a breeze Friday, running off three straight birdies toward the end of his round for another three-under-par 67 and a two-shot lead over Masters champion Zach Johnson in the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio. What appeared to be a tuneup for the final major of the season next week at the PGA Championship is starting to look as if it might be an even tougher test.

Frustrated by a slow playing partner and tired from a week of wet weather, Rory Sabbatini needed one last big shot to settle himself. He got it Monday at the 13th hole, where he chipped in for eagle from 60 feet. The shot swung the momentum back to the South African, who went on to a four-stroke win at the FBR Capital Open. "It's not often you can hit shots like that, that come off like you want and react like you want," Sabbatini said.

Notorious for fast play and slow burns, Rory Sabbatini has spent the first two months of this year learning to brake and chill, but after playing survivor Sunday at Riviera Country Club, there doesn't seem to be much he can do about becoming the hottest player on the PGA Tour. Sabbatini reached out and made the Nissan Open his third PGA Tour title, holding on even though it was slipping from his grasp as a cold offshore wind slapped him in the face on the back nine.

Whether he's running away from the field or chasing from behind, Geoff Ogilvy has found the secret to winning the season-opening SBS Championship at Kapalua, Hawaii. A year after winning by six shots, Ogilvy rallied from a two-shot deficit with 10 holes to play with smart decisions and flawless golf for a six-under-par 67 and a one-shot victory over Rory Sabbatini on Sunday. Ogilvy posted his eighth consecutive round in the 60s at the Plantation Course on Maui. He joined fellow Australian Stuart Appleby as the only repeat winners since this tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999, and he became only the seventh player in the 58 years of this winners-only tournament to win in consecutive years.

Two days after his Presidents Cup snub, Rory Sabbatini made captain Greg Norman's decision to leave him off the International team look even more peculiar. Sabbatini ran off seven birdies on renovated Cog Hill for a five-under-par 66 on Thursday, giving him a share of the lead with Steve Marino at the BMW International and hopes of making it to the FedEx Cup finale. They had a one-shot lead over Bo Van Pelt and Marc Leishman, who qualified for the third playoff event by making an eagle on his final hole Monday at the TPC Boston.

Rory Sabbatini has already won at Hogan's Alley. Now the South African shares the lead going into the final round at the PGA Byron Nelson Classic in Irving, Texas. Sabbatini shot a five-under-par 65 on Saturday to keep a share of the lead with John Mallinger, who also shot a 65 to match Sabbatini at 13-under 197. Dustin Johnson (66), D.A. Points (65) and Brian Davis (66) were 11 under.

Rory Sabbatini followed an unconventional par with four consecutive birdies on the way to a season-best six-under-par 64 and a share of the second-round lead Friday with John Mallinger at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas. Mallinger eagled both par fives at the TPC Four Seasons and made a 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole for a 65 to match Sabbatini at eight-under 132.

Five things to look for on the professional golf scene: 1. George Lopez knows enough about golf that he played host to the Bob Hope for a couple of years, plays in a bunch of PGA Tour pro-ams, and even has a favorite player. Rory Sabbatini. Why? "He's kind of annoying," Lopez said. "There's not enough of that." You could also say there's not enough giving back, which is one of the reasons why Lopez is launching the first National Kidney Foundation of Southern California celebrity tournament Monday at Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake.

The playoffs arrived on the PGA Tour and delivered a first-round leader in Rory Sabbatini, a brash South African who loves the idea of going head-to-head and is not afraid to speak highly of his chances no matter who's in his way. Too bad Tiger Woods wasn't around Thursday at the Barclays. Sabbatini, whose best year in golf has been highlighted by barbs directed at the world's No.

Rory Sabbatini holed out for eagle from the first fairway and picked up even more ground with a birdie on the final hole on a thrilling Saturday at the Wachovia Championship, giving him a share of the course record with an eight-under-par 64 and a final pairing he wanted with Tiger Woods at Charlotte, N.C. With Woods and Sabbatini tied at 11-under 205, for those who miss the excitement once found at Augusta National, this was the place to be.

Here is how you know your day on the golf course is going to turn out all right: You are no longer numb. After Rory Sabbatini finished his first four holes at Riviera Country Club, he looked down at his feet. "I said, 'Yes, I can actually feel my toes again.' " And it's possible Tiger Woods has dried out from his own weather experience Friday at the Nissan Open.

TULSA, Okla. -- Number crunchers, take note. The last year in which all four of the major titles were won by first-timers wasn't that long ago, in 2003, when Mike Weir, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis and Shaun Micheel broke through. And now, Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington have done their part to remind us that the past may be catching up to us again, not to mention Tiger Woods, who blew away the field Sunday to win the Bridgestone Invitational by eight shots. Even in this classroom full of first-time majors winners, there may be no one as old-school as Woods, and if he's playing just as well at this week's PGA Championship, then it's back-to-school time already.

Rory Sabbatini met one goal Saturday. He gets another shot at Tiger Woods. Sabbatini got his mistake out of the way early at the Bridgestone Invitational, settling down after a double bogey to salvage a two-over-par 72 and a one-shot lead over Woods, a five-time winner at Firestone. Woods dropped out of a share of the lead with a bogey on the 18th hole, but he still managed a 69 and left himself in good shape to win this World Golf Championship event at Akron, Ohio, for the third straight year.