Finally, some good fortune for Sabbatini

These haven't been the greatest past few weeks for Rory Sabbatini.

First, he misses the cut in the first two FedExCup playoffs events and limps into Cog Hill 35th in the Cup standings.

Then he begins his week in Chicago by finding out he wasn't one of international team captain Greg Norman's selections for the upcoming Presidents Cup, passed over instead for Adam Scott, who has made the cut only eight times in 18 events this year.

"You could say I was a little disappointed," said Sabbatini, who is 19th on the money list with nearly $2.5 million in earnings.

And to top it off, he didn't hear a word from Norman concerning the whole selection process.

"Not a single conversation, single phone call, period, from anybody," he said.

Maybe that's why Sabbatini was mainly all smiles Thursday following his 5-under 66, which left him in a tie for the BMW Championship lead with Steve Marino and earned him a rare trip to the media tent.

"It's fantastic," Sabbatini said. "I haven't seen the inside of a tent in awhile, so it's always fun.

"Obviously it's been a frustrating couple of weeks, even maybe couple of months."

But it's amazing what a hot driver can do for one's mood.

"I drove the ball spectacularly today," he said. "I've had very few days where I can say I went on the course and felt as comfortable as I did driving the golf ball. It was a relaxing day."

The same applied to Marino, who put together a string of 4 birdies on five holes, starting on No. 8 (383 yards) where he bombed a monster drive about 30 yards short of the green.

"The only thing you're thinking about, even when you get on a run like that out here, is just trying to hit the best short you can because if you let your focus slip, you can get on a run the other way," said Marino, who is 26th in the FedExCup standings. "Today was a great day."

A couple of players fighting for their playoff survival, Bo Van Pelt (54th) and Mark Leishman (T-67), are a shot back after rounds of 67.

"Go hard or go home, I guess," said Leishman, who along with Padraig Harrington recorded the only bogey-free rounds Thursday. "Hopefully I can go hard."

A six-pack of players sit just 2 shots off the lead, headed by Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy and 2007 champ Camilo Villegas.

"Very good. Very good," Wood said of his round. "I hit the ball well all day."

Harrington, seeking his fifth consecutive top-10 finish, opened with a 3-under 68.

"I was a little bit erratic at times out there," he said. "It needs to be better over the next three days. I won't get away with what I got away with today."

Steve Stricker, winner of last week's Deutsche Bank Championship and the current points leader, opened with a 1-over 72.

"I didn't hit it all that poorly; just didn't take advantage of some putts early on," Stricker said. "A 3-putt on 18 (his ninth hole of the day) from 10-12 feet for bogey kind of slowed whatever momentum I had."