Fan Remarks Sting Sabbatini

Fred Couples has long been a fan favorite at Riviera Country Club and Sunday was no exception.

But Nissan Open champion Rory Sabbatini, paired with Couples for the final round, said fans following the final group may have gone overboard in their support for the two-time Nissan Open Champion.

“There were a lot of very snide remarks out there,” Sabbatini said. “It’s sad when, you know, you have that situation. Obviously Freddie is a great player. They can support him. I have no problem in the world with that ... If you have a favorite player, support him, but don’t wish for someone else to do bad.

“[He] is in his hometown, you know,” Sabbatini said of the fans’ response to Couples, who has a home in Santa Barbara. “Go for it. But, you know, give the other guys a chance. Don’t be rude.”

Sabbatini, who has shown a short fuse in the past, said the comments nearly moved him to do something he might later regret.

“It almost motivated me to go into the crowd,” he said.

Couples acknowledged that fan support was weighted in his favor.

“They were certainly behind me more,” he said.

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A pair of consecutive top-10 finishes isn’t bad for someone who is trying to make the Ryder Cup team, but it’s not something you’d expect out of the captain.

Tom Lehman, this year’s captain, has done just that. He shot a final-round, two-under 69 and finished at eight under, five shots behind Sabbatini in a tie for seventh. Last week at Pebble Beach he also tied for seventh.

“Overall, I’m doing a lot of things right,” Lehman said.

Two of those things are exercise and diet.

Lehman, who turns 47 on March 7, began a regimented fitness routine last August and has dropped almost 25 pounds. He said he wanted to strengthen his legs and knees for better support in his swing, and the hard work has paid off.

“I definitely feel like I’m in better condition, stronger, more fit,” Lehman said. “It still doesn’t solve all the problems, obviously, but I’m better than I was.”

Lehman’s fast start has fueled speculation that he might earn a spot on his Ryder Cup team. He began the week 21st on the points list and his top-10 finish will move him to No. 14.

He hinted earlier in the week that he would play if he made the team but wouldn’t select himself as a captain’s pick.

Walking the line between player and captain, he said, has become tricky.

“I know that when I come to the golf course and it’s my time to work and practice and play, it’s pretty simple to focus on just my game,” he said. “It’s the times before and after that when you’ve got to plan how to use your time.”

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Ernie Els had a so-so performance in his 2006 U.S. debut, finishing in a tie for 23rd at four under, but left Riviera encouraged after a final-round of 67, tied for the second-best round of the day.

“It’s not too bad, I guess,” said Els, who shot 70-72-71 in the first three rounds. “Mediocre. I’d give it a B-minus, something like that.”

This was the South African’s first appearance in America since the U.S. Open last June. He tore ligaments in his knee while vacationing last July and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.

He said the chilly weather at Riviera this week affected him a bit and he could feel some pain in his knee, but didn’t use that as an excuse for a performance below his standards.

He left Riviera on a private plane headed for Hawaii, where he is opening a golf course. He said he planned a brief visit with Michelle Wie, whom he befriended at the 2004 Sony Open in Hawaii when they played a practice round.

He’ll spend less than a day there, then head back for the Accenture Match Play Championship in Carlsbad, where he’ll face Charles Howell III in a first-round match Wednesday.

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Adam Scott won the Nissan Open last year in a driving downpour that forced the tournament to be shortened to 36 holes.

After his final-round 64 Sunday left him in second place, a shot behind Sabbatini, the natural question was Scott’s opinion on the golf course.

“It was great to see it really dry,” he said.

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There was some rain this year, but it didn’t cause any delays -- a far cry from last year.

Howell stepped out of the locker room into bright sunshine Friday morning and said he was grateful.

But Howell also said last year wasn’t so bad either.

“It didn’t rain one drop in the locker room,” he said.

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A flu bug has been circulating among the PGA Tour pros and Tiger Woods had it so bad he had to withdraw from the tournament before his round Saturday.

Couples had it too but played through it and, even though temperatures barely broke into the 60s, was sweating with fever Sunday when he finished his final-round 71.

“I’m tired of sneezing, just like everyone else,” he said.

Jim Furyk, who finished tied for 12th at six under, has so far managed to avoid the bug.

“My caddie’s got it, so it’s probably a matter of time,” Furyk said. “Though I haven’t kissed him.”