Dial wins tournament, 10-year wager

Luke Brietzki
For the Opelika-Auburn News
Published: July 20, 2008

Minutes after Frank Dial won the Indian Pines Invitational on Sunday, he reached into his wallet and pulled out a piece of paper.

“It means I get to tear up this thing right here,” said Dial, who defeated defending champion Scott Johnston on a one-hole playoff.

The writing, smeared but still somewhat legible, recorded a 10-year bet that Dial made with tournament administrator Jerry Bavaro. The two made a $250 wager about Dial winning the Indian Pines Invitational by the year 2010. Bavaro had since tacked on 10-1 odds on a $20 bet that Dial wouldn’t even finish top-three, bringing his debt to $450 on Sunday.

The paper, on which the wager was recorded, had survived a wallet change as well. Dial, a soon-to-be 58-year-old who didn’t play his first round of golf until he was 31, lost the wallet but found the piece of paper along US-280 a few years ago.

Sunday, Dial increased the otherwise worthless paper’s value to $450 by firing an even-par 142 over two days and earning his first-ever tournament win. He also became the tournament’s oldest winner.

“Today, that’s what kept my head in the game, knowing that if I could do this, I could throw it away,” Dial said.

It wasn’t a wager Bavaro expected to pay 10 years ago.

“He was awful,” Bavaro said of Dial when they agreed on the wager.

Not on this particular weekend.

Dial survived a late charge from Scott Johnston, a two-time winner at the Indian Pines Invitational, and tapped in an easy par putt to secure the victory on the 10th hole, the first and only playoff hole.

Johnston’s tee shot veered into the rough and under some trees, forcing him to take a punch shot on the par-4 10th. Johnston’s shot bounced off the green and carried into the rough.

Dial, who took a drop after his tee shot landed on the cart path, stuck his second shot on the green. Johnston was unable to get up and down while Dial two-putted to win the tournament’s Championship Flight.

“I thought I had a real good chance (after Johnston’s second shot),” said Dial, who won the grand prize of $450 on top of the bet with Bavaro. “I knew he’d have a tough up and down, and I just hit it real close.”

Coincidentally, Johnston won last year’s tournament in a playoff in virtually the same fashion he lost on Sunday — by two-putting when his opponent overshot the green.

Both Johnston and Dial had opportunities to claim the win on the 18th hole, but both missed long birdie putts.

Johnston required birdies on both 15 and 16 to even force a playoff. Both golfers carded pars on 17 and 18.

“This is a good, tough test,” Johnston said. “For a golf course that’s this short, you’d better hit it in the fairway, and you’d better know which way you’re going on the greens.”

Dial competed amongst seven former tournament winners and topped them all. This despite thinking golf was “for sissies” until a major ACL tear forced him to stop competing in baseball, basketball and softball at age 31.

Searching for a competitive challenge, Dial turned to golf.

“Golf was the only sport I could play,” Dial said. “I couldn’t run and jump any more.”

Buzz Sturz, who shot a 66 on Saturday, finished third with a plus-2 144. Jimmy Brandt and Will Garner - a junior at Lee-Scott Academy - both finished at 144 as well, but placed fourth and fifth respectively because of tie-breakers.

Bruce Haman shot a 71 on Sunday to win the second championship flight.

Clay Andrew (146), Wade Bennett (151), Alan Walker (159), Paul Phatsadavong (169) and Michael Hyde (169) all won their flights as well.

The tournament was divided into seven flights. The two championship flights were golfers competing for the biggest prizes. The other flights were broken up based on Saturday’s scores.