Former UNLV star Charley Hoffman eyes a tee shot during the final round of his playoff victory Sunday in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Photo by The Associated Press

Charley Hoffman never quit believing that he would one day be standing in the winner's circle on the PGA Tour.

Not when he withdrew or missed 15 consecutive cuts as a rookie on the Nationwide Tour in 2000, not when he let the Frys.com Open fall through his grasp last fall, and not Sunday when he began the final round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic four shots off the lead.

Hoffman eagled the 18th with what he called the shot of his life and went on to defeat John Rollins in a playoff for his first PGA Tour victory.

The former UNLV star, who lives at Rhodes Ranch, will play this week on the course he grew up on, in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

He made the cut as a 19-year-old amateur in 1999 and used to play the course all the time as a child. Now, as a PGA Tour champion, he'll get a chance to win back-to-back events and deny Tiger Woods his seventh consecutive victory.

"I'm familiar with the golf course. I don't need to go out and grind it out on this golf course, because I've played it so many times," Hoffman said. "It's definitely a huge advantage for me."

Another advantage for Hoffman is his length. He ripped a 372-yard drive on the 18th on Sunday and hit an 8-iron in, setting up his eagle to force the playoff.

Las Vegan Chris Riley, a former UNLV teammate and San Diego native, said he's continually amazed by how far Hoffman hits the ball.

"I play a lot of golf with Charley ... and to be honest with you, he kicks my butt all the way around the golf course, mainly because he hits his driver so far," Riley said. "When we're playing up at the Canyons, I'm hitting it 280 and he's hitting it 340. He really plays a different golf course."

Riley and Hoffman once talked on the range at the Canyons about whether the two could ever reach the top 10 in the world. Riley doubted he could, but Hoffman said he believed he could.

Hoffman said he was motivated when Riley doubted his chances.

"I hadn't even played a tour event yet and he pretty much said, 'Oh, you're not going to be top 10 in the world,' " Hoffman said. "And I said, 'We'll see. I'm going to try and see if I can get there. That's where I want to be.' I'm slowly stepping in that direction.

"I think any time anybody says you can't do it, you're probably going to work harder to try to do it and prove them wrong. There's nothing better than proving somebody wrong when they tell you you can't do something."

• RILEY REGROUPS -- Riley lost his PGA Tour card after finishing 150th on the money list, then failing to get through PGA Tour Qualifying School. He's on the Nationwide Tour and is playing the Buick on an exemption.

He conceded it has been tough, going from playing in the Ryder Cup in 2004 to losing his tour card, but he is as optimistic as ever.

"I hit rock bottom, (shooting) 83 at Q-School," Riley said. "When I walked back out to the range, they were like, 'Geez, this guy played on the Ryder Cup and now he is shooting 83 at Q-School.' It shows you what the game is all about.

"Yeah, it was a little embarrassing, but in athletics, everybody gets to see what you do. I just go with it."

• SNGA WINNER -- Cyrus Whitney survived fierce winds to win the season opener on the Southern Nevada Golf Association circuit at Las Vegas Paiute Resort.

Whitney shot 89-72 for a 17-over-par 161 total on Jan. 14, beating Brady Exber by three shots.

Dave Spitler won the net division title. Steve Paulsen won the senior gross championship, and James Massey won the senior net.

Kevin Iole's local golf notes are published Thursday. He can be reached at 396-4428 or kiole@reviewjournal.com.