In case you missed it—and you surely did—David Graham and Dave
Stockton engaged in a 10-hole playoff on Sunday, the longest in
Senior tour history, before Graham emerged the winner in the
Royal Caribbean Classic in Key Biscayne, Fla. ESPN presented
taped coverage of the event but understandably could show only
highlights of the nearly two-hour overtime.
Graham brought about the playoff by birdieing the final three
holes of regulation. He and Stockton played 18 again, and when
both parred it, they began a 16-18 rotation. With a chance to
win on the second playoff hole, Graham missed a four-foot birdie
putt but then staved off defeat on the next hole by saving par
from the same distance. Minutes later, back at 18, he appeared a
sure winner when his approach stopped two feet from the pin,
while Stockton was in the rough off the green. But Stockton
chipped in, and on they went.
Darkness was fast approaching when the two came to the 18th hole
for the fifth time. Again Graham knocked his approach stiff, and
again Stockton was off the green, but this time he failed to
chip in. Game, set and match.
Almost lost in the excitement was Lee Trevino's third-place
finish. Life for Trevino the last couple of years has been an
uphill par-7. He has won only once since 1995, in the Emerald
Coast Classic 18 months ago. In Key Biscayne, he was in
contention until the final four holes, but he failed to birdie
the relatively easy par-5 15th, then bogied 16 when he missed a
five-foot putt. He finished two strokes behind Graham and
Stockton, but even so, he was elated.
"I haven't played this well in two years," Trevino said after
shooting a second-round 65, the low score of the day. "It had
gotten so bad I didn't know where the shots were going."
Trevino, who won 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour, has won 27 more
as a Senior. Don't bet against his winning number 28 sometime
soon.
Issue date: February 9, 1998
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