Sabbatini makes case for Europe with opening 65

Perhaps Rory Sabbatini’s attempt to make Europe’s team for next year’s Ryder Cup is not as unlikely as it first sounded. The former bad boy of the American circuit shot a 65 in the first round of the Italian Open to remind everyone of his quality.

Padraig Harrington, the Europe captain, has been taking the 43-year-old’s candidature seriously since Sabbatini changed citizenship from South Africa to Slovakia – the country of his wife – this year. Ostensibly, that was to establish the former world No 8 as eligible for next year’s Olympics, but the Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits in 11 months is also on his radar.

“I’ve got some roots here in Italy and it’s good to be here,” Sabbatini said after five birdies, an eagle and a solitary bogey took him to one shot off the pace set by Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen. “I’ve got to continue to keep the ball in play, minimise the stress and see what happens.”

Stress once seemed to follow Sabbatini’s career. At one event, he stormed ahead of Ben Crane, finishing a hole before his playing partner had reached the green following a disagreement about slow play, and, in 2011, was fined for yelling at a volunteer for daring to look at his ball. The same year, he became embroiled in an argument with fellow pro Sean O’hair and, along the way, there were also run-ins with Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo.

However, there was never any questioning his class, as he won six PGA Tour titles and spent more than 20 weeks in the world’s top 10.

From falling out of the top 550 two years ago, Sabbatini has risen to 78th and a victory at the Olgiata Golf Club would give him a springboard on the way to Wisconsin.

However, it is already a stellar leaderboard, with world No 5 Justin Rose on five under par, alongside Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, with Matt Fitzpatrick on four under and Danny Willett on three under.