Eric Risberg / AP

Rory Sabbatini of South Africa tosses his putter after missing a birdie putt on the ninth green of the Plantation Course during the second round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Sabbatini never backed down because that's not his nature.

He signed up for the first tee time Wednesday at Oakmont before the U.S. Open, with Woods' name already on the list. Sabbatini played alone that day, and when someone jokingly asked Sabbatini if Woods was ducking him, he chirped, "I don't know. I'll go find out."

He walked across the putting green and began chatting to Woods, who rarely looked up, but smiled when he finally did. Sabbatini laughed, came back to a group of reporters and shared his information.

"He said he stopped playing on Wednesday at the majors a couple of years ago, and it's worked out OK for him," Sabbatini said.

Over the next few months, Sabbatini said he wanted to play Woods in the Presidents Cup because he would either win and give his team a lift or lose and be a sacrificial lamb. They were in the final group at Firestone, and Woods beat him by nine and the field by eight.

By then, they were linked as adversaries, and pulling out of the Target made the headlines even larger.

"Obviously, Rory is full of confidence," Woods said at Firestone. "He believes in what he can do, and there's a lot to be said for that."

But right now, you won't hear it from Sabbatini.