Clarence Rose's golf game turned sour in 1990, just about the time his son got sick.
Having survived the worst, Rose was particularly qualified to savor the best. It was only fitting then that after he made an eagle putt on the third playoff hole Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, he saw a rainbow.Rose's 25-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the 17th hole - his second eagle of the day on that hole - gave him the playoff win over Brad Faxon in the weather-delayed Sprint International.
His clinching eagle, worth $288,000, came after Faxon twice had saved par from greenside bunkers in the playoff.
Rose, 38, earned more than $800,000 from 1986-89 on the PGA Tour. After losing his playing card, however, he has played recently on the Nike Tour and in only a handful of regular tour events.
He hit bottom six years ago. His infant son, Clark, was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and Rose virtually quit the game.
"I wasn't playing well anyway," he said. "That sort of thing puts your priorities in order."
Clark has recovered completely, and so has Rose's game.
"To win the second time around is really nice," Rose said. "Sometimes you don't know if you can come back. The level of play out here is so high.
"I'll get to play in the World Series next week, the Tournament of Champions and the Masters. Those are places I haven't seen."
After 72 holes, Rose and Faxon were tied with 31 points under the modified Stableford system used to score this event at Castle Pines Golf Club.
Eight points are awarded for a double eagle, five for an eagle and two for a birdie. Par is worth nothing, while bogeys cost a point and double bogey and higher cost three.
Michael Bradley, who birdied the last two holes, and Bob Tway, who eagled 17, finished with 30 points. British Open champion Tom Lehman and Justin Leonard had 27.
Rose, the eighth first-time winner on tour this year, propelled himself into the playoff by making a 15-foot eagle putt at the par-5 17th in the next-to-last hole of regulation.