Many will not recall the events of the 2006 Players Championship.

Just to refresh, Stephen Ames stormed his way to a six-shot success and on the occasion of the final event before the PGA Tour’s flagship event moved to May though, of course, back to a March date.

However, the 2006 Players Championship is remembered for a black t-shirt worn by the then wife of Rory Sabatini.

Sabitini was grouped or two rounds with Nick Faldo along with Columbian Camilo Villegas.

There was no issue with Villegas but it may not have been a good idea by whoever on the Tour picks the groups given Faldo had criticised Sabatini from his TV analyst role a year earlier after Sabitini, and competing in the Booz Allen Classic in Maryland in heading to the 18th tee but leaving a tortoise-like Ben Crane still to putt out.

Sabatini had been spoken to by the PGA Tour and later apologised for his actions.

It only took 10 holes when Villegas lost a ball for Sabatini to ‘lose the plot’ when a Tour official arrived to advise the group of slow play.  Sabatini was clearly annoyed.

The t-short worn by Amy Sabatini on day two of the 2006 Players Championship

The round ended with Sabatini posting a 72, Villegas 74 (Would finish T3rd) and Faldo a 76, well until a Tour official spoke to the group at the end of play regarding slow play.

Day two got underway and word filtering back to the Media Centre that Sabatini’s wife was walking the course wearing a black t-shirt with a simple message:  ‘Keep Up!’

While Villegas regrouped to shoot a 70 but neither Faldo or Sabatini were playing well and with each headed for the weekend off but here was a story staring you in the face.

Faldo eventually putted out for a 79 and Sabatini an 81.

I was among a half-a-dozen journalists standing around the scorer’s hut as we pondered ‘do we or don’t we’ ask Faldo for a reaction to seeing Sabatini’s wife wearing the t-shirt that she clearly had got made-up overnight, and wearing as a protest to Faldo’s own tortorise-like ways around the TPC Sawgrass course.

Faldo emerged and was first asked about his round before the question:  “Nick?  What did you think of the t-shirt being worn by Rory’s wife?”

Firstly, I am going to correct a long-time wrong here as Faldo did not say the word ‘sexual’ as was reported in a number of UKs newspapers and still in place now on website articles of the incident.  I still have the taped interview and Faldo used the word ‘bedroom’.

But whatever, it was pure Faldo cynicism

“I think it’s very embarrassing for them to bring their bedroom problems to the golf course,” said a very straight-faced Faldo.  “Poor fellow. I thought he had enough problems without her announcing them to the world.”

Referring to the first-round incident when Sabbatini became enraged because the stopwatches of officialdom were deemed necessary, Faldo said: “He completely lost his head with the official, so I don’t know what his problem was. Camilo lost his ball on the 10th and that’s why we were put on the clock, but we were back in place within one hole, so it was no big deal.”

Sabatini was still in the vicinity of the scorer’s hut and he was approached for a comment, and having easily missed the cut it was Faldo in his firing line.

“When people say that if they were paired with you they would ‘slow play’ you, that leaves a lot of questions about their morals and professionalism,’ said Sabbatini, who has been made aware of Faldo’s observations from the commentators’ box at the Booz Allen.

Sabbatini refused to blame the six-time major winner Faldo for shooting an 81, but he made his feelings clear when asked if he had any complaints against his playing partners.

“‘You know, Camilo played great, he did his part and kept playing as well as he could. He was a true gentleman out there and showed good professionalism. I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

“What I will say there was a situation that occurred yesterday (Day one) following what happened on 10 that should have resulted in me not necessarily being put on the clock.’

Amy Sabatini had the last word:  “Rory should never have been told of slow play as he’s one of the quickest out there.

“What he’s most annoyed about is that the Tour have a new policy where they can time individuals and not groups. I want to know why don’t they do this? I think they aren’t enforcing the rules because they’re all buddies.

“That’s why I’ve worn this T-shirt as a protest against slow-play in general. I’ve had a few chuckles and nods of agreement. But it hasn’t worked. Today was even slower than yesterday. The first nine holes took almost three hours, for goodness sake.”

One now wonders whatever happened to that ‘Keep Up’ t-shirt as it would be a good golf museum piece.