Nobilo Gets Richer After Listening to Els

Frank Nobilo can thank buddy Ernie Els for his first victory on the PGA Tour.

Nobilo had missed his third cut in five American tournaments last week and was about to skip the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic in North Carolina when Els told his New Zealand roommate he was going to play this week--period.

Nobilo birdied six of his final 11 holes Sunday, then made a scrambling par on the first playoff hole to beat Brad Faxon.

Nobilo, who started the day five shots off the lead, tied Faxon at 14-under-par 274 through 72 holes, forcing the fourth playoff in the last 10 years at a sopping wet Forest Oaks Country Club course.

Playing the par-four 18th hole in a downpour, he hit his tee shot into the rough, could advance his second shot only to within 75 yards of the green, then hit to within eight feet and made his par putt to win the playoff. Faxon missed a 12-foot putt for par.

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Hale Irwin, battling gusty winds and putting problems the entire day, rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to beat Isao Aoki by one shot in the Las Vegas Senior Classic.

Irwin shot a one-over-par 72 on a day in which winds gusted to 50 mph. He won for the second time in a row and fourth time in seven Senior PGA Tour events this season.

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Rain washed out the final round of the Chick-fil-A LPGA Charity Championship at Stockridge, Ga., giving Nancy Lopez a two-stroke victory, her first in almost four years.

Lopez completed her second round by parring the 18th hole Sunday morning for a 66, then got in only two more holes before the tournament was called.