Tour prepares for life without Woods

The Wachovia is the first scheduled event that Tiger will miss since surgery.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Wachovia Championship has become known for its numerous perks. It’s what made Tiger Woods’ absence stick out even more on Wednesday.

There was no sign of the Buick pitchman’s vehicle among the sea of Mercedes courtesy cars in the players’ parking lot. The tournament known for its pampering of players is the first scheduled event Woods will miss since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

But as the PGA Tour prepares for life without the world’s No. 1 golfer this week and next at The Players Championship, not everyone is bummed out.

“At least I won’t have to deal with all his fans,” Rory Sabbatini said.

It was a year ago here at Quail Hollow Club that Sabbatini said he was looking forward to being paired with Woods in the final round. Woods shot a 3-under 69 to win the tournament, while Sabbatini shot 74 and finished tied for third.

A week later, Sabbatini said Woods looked “beatable as ever.” Woods responded by noting he had as many wins in 2007 as Sabbatini had in his career.

Sabbatini’s been hearing it from the galleries ever since.

“There were a couple of times I wanted to bury a few clubs in a couple of people,” Sabbatini said. “Now you just have to realize that, you know what, half of them are drunk and the other half — everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

Sabbatini is part of a loaded field — even with Woods going through injury rehab — for today’s start to the six-year-old Wachovia Championship.

Phil Mickelson, armed with a new putter, will play his first tournament since the Masters. Last year’s runner up, Steve Stricker, is here. So is Adam Scott, 2006 champion Jim Furyk, 2005 winner Vijay Singh and Masters champion Trevor Immelman. In all, 18 of the world’s top 25 will play after Lee Westwood withdrew on Wednesday.

Sabbatini is ranked 12th, but struggling. He missed the cut at the Masters and at last week’s Byron Nelson Championship. He’s finished no better than 33rd in his past six tournaments.

But the outspoken South African, who tried to convince reporters that he didn’t know Woods wasn’t here, thinks his return trip to Charlotte might change his luck.

“It was this time last year that the media butchered me,” Sabbatini said. “So maybe it’ll be a new year. Can we do a Tiger’s New Year? We’ve got the Chinese New Year, we got our New Year. How about a Tiger New Year?”