| Memphis,
Tennesee. 2nd August, 1998 -
Nick Price won the FedEx St. Jude Classic with a
birdie on the second hole of a playoff today with Jeff Sluman for his first PGA
Tour victory this season and second since 1994. Price
had made up two strokes with three holes left by eagling the par-5 16th for the
third time in four days. "This
turns my year around,'' he said. "I feel like I've gotten over a big hurdle
this weekend.'' He
had a chance to win in regulation, but missed a 7-foot birdie try at No. 18. It
rolled around the right edge of the cup, but failed to drop. "I
couldn't believe it stayed out,'' Price said. "I didn't want to go to extra
time. My nerves weren't too good at that point.'' Both
players parred No. 18 -- the first playoff hole -- Price from a fairway bunker.
Sluman put his
tee shot into the water right of the fairway on the second extra hole, the 375-yard,
par-4 No. 12. Sluman
hit his third shot to about 12 feet, but never got to try his par putt because
Price rolled in a 20-foot birdie try for his second St. Jude title. He also won
in 1993. "I
had a feeling he was going to make that putt,'' Price said. "I read that
one perfectly.'' It
was the 11th second-place finish in Sluman's career. He has two victories. "Anytime
you're one off the lead and shoot 65, that's usually enough to win,'' Sluman said.
"But Nick shot a great round. I did all I could. I didn't make a bogey and
had six birdies. What can you do?'' In
fact, Sluman did not make a bogey all weekend, shooting 66 on Saturday and the
day's low round of 65 today. Price
finished with a final-round 66. "I've
played pretty solid all year but not done as well as I felt I should have,'' Price
said. "It's been frustrating.'' Sluman,
playing in the group ahead of Price in regulation, took the lead on No. 16, the
528-yard, par-5, with a birdie from about 2 feet to go 16-under. Price
trailed by two shots at that point. He made it up all at once with the eagle at
16, a hole he played in 7-under-par for the four rounds. "That's
the best I've ever done any week on any hole in my career,'' Price said. Sluman
parred the last three holes in regulation, coolly saving par on No. 18 from a
front greenside bunker with Price's perfect tee shot sitting in the fairway behind
him. Price's
approach on No. 18 in regulation was about 7 feet to the right of the hole. His
putt to win rolled around the right edge and out as Price reacted with disbelief.
"At that
point I was very happy to get back to No. 18,'' Sluman said. "I didn't think
there was any chance Nick would miss that putt.'' Glen
Day matched Sluman for the best round of the day with a 65, and held the lead
when he came to the 18th tee. But he pulled his tee shot left into the lake and
made bogey to finish alone in third place at 14-under 270 -- two shots back. "That
shot wasn't too good, but it didn't cost me the tournament,'' Day said. "I
missed some putts today that cost me the tournament.'' Bob
Estes began the day tied with Price for the lead at 11-under, and jumped into
the lead with birdies on four of his first five holes. He was still in the hunt
before bogeying the par-3 14th when he couldn't get up and down from the left
rough. Another
bogey, on No. 17, ended his chances. Estes
finished with a 69 for a 271, alone in fourth place. Tim
Conley (69) was at 272, followed by Paul Goydos (67) at 10-under and Jay Haas
(68) and Paul Azinger (72) at 9-under. | 
