Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic
Forest Oaks Country Club
North Carolina
23rd - 26th April 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $2.2 million

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Dodds defeats Verplank in playoff

Greensboro, N.C. 26th April 1998 -  Trevor Dodds may want to take a photo of the 18th hole at Forest Oaks Country Club and frame it. He played the difficult par-4 to near perfection in claiming his first PGA Tour victory today.

"I played that hole in so few shots that I have to write it down or get a picture to remember it," said the 38-year-old Dodds, who birdied the third hardest hole on the course four times before parring it on the first playoff hole to edge Scott Verplank in the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic.

Dodds, who battled testicular cancer last season while playing the NIKE Tour, became the 15th different winner this season in as many PGA Tour events.

"Life is funny -- my illness, my cancer -- made me change my approach a lot about life," said Dodds. "In a sense I put golf in the proper place. Golf became the third thing in my life, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to pursue golf."

He said his faith and his family are now 1-2.

"(Golf) was a lessor priority but there was a new urgency," he said.

It was the second straight year the $2.2 million Greensboro tournament went into a playoff. Last year, Frank Nobilo rallied from five shots back to defeat Brad Faxon on the first extra hole, played in a virtual monsoon with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees.

This time around the weather was in sharp contrast on the par-72, 7,062-yard Forest Oaks Country Club course, with the sun shining and temperatures in the 80s. But a tricky wind gusting to 25 mph frustrated player after player down the stretch.

Dodds, who shot a final-round 69 for a 12-under 276 total, trailed by two shots as he stood on the 18th tee. He almost holed his approach shot and birdied one the course's toughest holes for the fourth straight day to move one behind leader Bob Estes at the time.

Estes, playing two groups behind Dodds, then missed two par-saving 5-footers on the final two holes, the last devastating bogey lipping out on the right side of the hole with Verplank, one shot back, waiting patiently in the 18th fairway.

Estes, one of the game's best putters, led by two shots after birdies at Nos. 10 and 11, but missed four of his last seven greens in regulation to finish with a closing-round 1-over 73.

"I made a few good putts," Estes said of his play on the greens over the final two holes. "Golf is a game of fractions of inches."

With Dodds on the practice range keeping loose, Verplank put his approach shot within 30 feet on No. 18 and then made the dramatic putt to force the playoff, finishing with a 72.

Verplank was first off the 18th tee, but his drive found the deep right rough while Dodds split the fairway and had a 150-yard approach shot to a hole he had huge success on this week.

"I wish I would have taken another deep breath and got a hold of the situation a little bit better," Verplank said when asked about his poor tee shot on the extra hole. "I just played an errant shot off the tee."

Verplank was only able to move his approach shot within 60 yards of the green and he would two-putt for a bogey. Dodds' approach shot was within eight feet and he two-putted to claim the $396,000 top prize.

Dodds, who had missed six of 10 cuts entering this week's tournament, including four of his last five, started the day 9 under and three shots behind co-leaders Estes, Verplank and Skip Kendall.

Kendall was the first to fade from contention. After shooting a 63 on Saturday -- one shot off the tourney and course record -- Kendall had a 6-over 41 on the front side to fall from the leaderboard. He finished with a 78 and six shots behind the leaders.