Scott Rachal Verplank (born July 9, 1964) is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.

Early life Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Verplank was a leading member of the W.T. White High School golf team and a regular at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas. He graduated from high school in 1982.

Amateur career Verplank attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. At OSU, he was a member of the 1983 NCAA Championship team, finishing T3 alongside teammates Tommy Moore, Willie Wood, Andy Dillard, and Philip Walton. He went on later to win the 1984 U.S. Amateur and 1986 NCAA individual title.

Prior to his senior year at Oklahoma State, Verplank won the Western Open outside Chicago in August 1985; it was the first victory by an amateur on the PGA Tour in 29 years. He defeated Jim Thorpe on the second extra hole of a playoff for the win at Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Professional career Verplank graduated and turned professional in 1986, using his two-year exemption on the PGA Tour; his first event as a pro was the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in June, his sixth tour event He earned five wins on the PGA Tour, and two Ryder Cup appearances, in 2002 and 2006. Verplank has type 1 diabetes and uses an insulin pump during play. He was awarded the 2002 Ben Hogan Award, given by the Golf Writers Association of America to an individual who has continued to be active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness. Verplank has been featured in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, reaching as high as eleventh in 2001.

He hit a hole-in-one in the Ryder Cup, on the 14th hole during a singles match against Pádraig Harrington in 2006. The shot did not impact the overall result, however, as Europe had already won the trophy. Nonetheless, he was the first American player to card an ace during the Ryder Cup; his overall record in the competition is 4 wins and 1 loss.

Verplank's most recent win was the 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, in which he defeated Luke Donald by one stroke. As a Dallas native, Verplank called the EDS Byron Nelson Championship "a fifth major," and also mentioned that "Byron was with me today" (the 2007 tournament was the first held after Nelson's death). His best finish in a major championship was a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship in 2011.

Verplank competed in the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational finishing T38 and then the following week at the Shell Houston Open in which Verplank finished T2 behind Phil Mickelson. Verplank had held a joint 54-hole lead with Mickelson and even held the lead on his own at a number of stages during the final round, however his lack of competitive golf proved costly throughout the final few holes and he was unable to close out the victory. This was his best finish on tour in 18 months since finishing T2 at the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2009. Verplank has amassed over $27 million in career earnings.

Verplank played the 2013 season on a Major Medical Extension after hip and wrist injuries in 2012. He started the 2014 season in a similar fashion, but was not able to satisfy the medical exemption and used his career money list exemption for the remainder of the season. Verplank turned 50 in July 2014 and made his Champions Tour debut at the at Oak Tree National, near his residence in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Awards and honors In December 2010, Verplank was named a 2011 winner of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, given annually to six former NCAA student-athletes for distinguished career accomplishment on the 25th anniversary of their college graduation.

Amateur wins 1983 Porter Cup 1984 U.S. Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur 1985 Western Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur, Porter Cup 1986 NCAA individual title

Professional wins (6) PGA Tour wins (5) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Aug 4, 1985Western Open(as an amateur)68-68-69-74=279−9Playoff Jim Thorpe2Jul 31, 1988Buick Open66-66-70-66=268−202 strokes Doug Tewell3Aug 27, 2000Reno–Tahoe Open69-68-71-67=275−13Playoff Jean van de Velde4Sep 9, 2001Bell Canadian Open70-63-66-67=266−143 strokes Joey Sindelar, Bob Estes5Apr 29, 2007EDS Byron Nelson Championship67-68-66-66=267−131 stroke Luke Donald

PGA Tour playoff record (2–4) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11985Western Open Jim ThorpeWon with par on second extra hole21998Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic Trevor DoddsLost to par on first extra hole32000Reno–Tahoe Open Jean van de VeldeWon with birdie on fourth extra hole42001Verizon Byron Nelson Classic Robert DamronLost to birdie on fourth extra hole52004Ford Championship at Doral Craig ParryLost to eagle on first extra hole62010Travelers Championship Corey Pavin, Bubba WatsonWatson won with par on second extra holePavin eliminated by par on first hole

Other wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunners-up1Nov 22, 1998World Cup of Golf Individual Trophy70-72-74-63=279−91 stroke Nick Faldo, Costantino Rocca

Other playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12006Merrill Lynch Shootout(with Justin Leonard) Jerry Kelly and Rod PamplingLost to bogey on first extra hole

Results in major championships Tournament19851986198719881989Masters TournamentCUTCUTCUTCUTU.S. OpenT34LAT15CUTThe Open ChampionshipCUTCUTPGA ChampionshipCUTCUT

Tournament1990199119921993199419951996199719981999Masters TournamentCUTU.S. OpenT61T18T21T49T17The Open ChampionshipT15PGA ChampionshipT31CUTT54T34

Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009Masters TournamentCUT43T829T20T16T30CUTU.S. OpenT46T22CUTT10T40CUTCUTT7T29The Open ChampionshipCUTT30T37CUTT7T23T31T57T58PGA ChampionshipCUTT7CUTCUTT62T34CUTT9CUTCUT

Tournament201020112012Masters TournamentT18T54U.S. OpenT47The Open ChampionshipT76PGA ChampionshipCUTT4WD

LA = Low amateur CUT = missed the half-way cut WD = withdrew "T" = tied

Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 1 4 15 8U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 2 7 18 14The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 1 3 13 9PGA Championship 0 0 0 1 3 3 19 8Totals 0 0 0 1 7 17 65 39 Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (2004 Masters – 2005 Masters) Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2003 Masters – 2003 U.S. Open)

Results in The Players Championship Tournament19861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999The Players ChampionshipCUTCUTCUTCUTWDT11T32 Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012The Players ChampionshipT20T44T28T8T26T2CUTT44CUTT49T13T54WD

CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships Tournament199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010Match PlayR32R32R32R64R64R64R32R64R64R64ChampionshipT48NT1T15T51T54T62T38T40T30InvitationalT17T58T46T19T51T59T9T20T51T39Champions

1Cancelled due to 9/11

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied NT = No tournament Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

U.S. national team appearances Amateur Eisenhower Trophy: 1984 Walker Cup: 1985 (winners)

Professional World Cup: 1998 (individual title), 2004 Ryder Cup: 2002, 2006 Presidents Cup: 2005 (winners), 2007 (winners) Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 2006 (winners)

See also 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates 1997 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates

References

External links