Scott Rachal Verplank (born July 9, 1964) is an
American professional golfer.
Verplank was born in Dallas, Texas. He was a leading
member of the W.T. White High School Golf Team and a
regular at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas. While
attending Oklahoma State University he won at the
Western Open, becoming the first amateur to win a
PGA Tour event since Doug Sanders won the 1956
Canadian Open. Scott also won the 1984 U.S. Amateur
Championship at the Oak Tree Golf Club and the 1986
NCAA individual title.
Verplank graduated and turned professional in 1986.
His career has been solid, with five wins on the PGA
Tour, and two Ryder Cup appearances, in 2002 and
2006. He has diabetes and 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. He has featured in the top 20 of
the Official World Golf Rankings.
He hit a hole-in-one on the 14th hole during a
singles match against Padraig Harrington at the 2006
Ryder Cup. The shot did not impact the overall
result, however, as Europe had already won the
trophy. Nonetheless, he was the first American
player to achieve a hole-in-one during the Ryder
Cup.
Verplank's most recent win was the 2007 EDS Byron
Nelson Championship, in which he defeated Luke
Donald by one stroke. Verplank called the EDS Byron
Nelson Championship "A fifth Major", and also
mentioned that "Byron was with me today".
