The History of the PPA
(1960 - 1969)

The Professional Putters Association, originally known as the PPPGA - Putt-Putt Professional Golfers Association, played its first official events in the summer of 1960. The summer tour of 1960 saw the then PPPGA play in 14 cities and featured a purse of $25,000 and a $5,000 PPA National Championship.

• Earl Fritts wins the First PPPGA Event in Dallas, TX (28 May 1960)
• Ronnie Nixon wins Houston, TX Event (4 June 1960)
• Savannah, GA pro, Frank Holt wins New Orleans, LA Event (11 June 1960)
• Ronnie Slocum Winner of $1,000 Birmingham, AL Event (18 June 1960)
• Frank Holt wins the Tampa, FL Event (25 June 1960)
• Neil Connor wins 1960 PPPGA National Championship (4 July 1960)
• Lehman Key wins First Place $1,000 in Charlotte, NC Tourney (9 July 1960)
• Don Posey wins $1,000 in Winston-Salem, NC Tourney (16 July 1960)
• Neil Connor winner of $2,000 Johnson City, TN Tournament (23 July 1960)
• Earl Fritts wins $2,000 Indianapolis, IN Tournament (30 July 1960)
• Bob Williamson wins First Place in Dayton, OH Tournament (6 August 1960)
• Earl Fritts wins the Baltimore, MD Event (13 August 1960)
• Frank Holt winner of $1,000 Richmond, VA Tournament (20 August 1960)
• Lee Weldy wins the Fayetteville, NC Tournament (27 August 1960)

• Neil Connor wins $2,000 Orlando, Florida Tournament (Orlando, FL)
• Pete Reed wins the 1961 Southern Open (Atlanta, GA)
• Neil Connor captures $2,000 Durham Open Title (Durham, NC)
• Condy Roberson wins $2,500 Arlington Tourney (Arlington, Virginia)
• Lee Weldy wins the 1961 National Championship (Cincinnati, OH)
• Neil Connor wins the 1961 Eastern Open (Long Island, NY)
• Claude Staggs wins $1,100 Kingsport Tourney (Kingsport, TN)
• Charles McIntosh wins $2,500 Montgomery Tourney (Montgomery, AL)
• Lehman Key wins $2,500 Baton Rouge Tourney (Baton Rouge, LA)
• Ron Slocumb wins $2,000 International Open (El Paso, TX)
• Condy Roberson wins $4,000 Pacific Open (Los Angeles, CA)

• Chuck Schafer wins $5,000 New Orleans Open (New Orleans, LA)
• Bill Elyer wins the 1962 PPA Southern Open (Savannah, GA)
• Pat Youmans wins the $3,000 High Point Open (High Point, NC)
• Neil Connor wins the 1962 Eastern Open (Farmingdale, NY)
• George Bearden wins $5,000 International Open (Cleveland, OH)
• Paul Garrison wins the 1962 National Championship (Cincinnati, OH)
• Bob Williamson wins the $3,000 Bristol Open (Bristol, TN)
• Ralph Sapp wins the $5,000 Houston Open (Houston, TX)
• Daryl Freeman wins the $3,000 Pacific Open (Los Angeles, CA)

• John Spotts wins the $50,000 1963 National Championship (Cleveland, OH)
• Ron Slocumb wins the $5,000 Midwestern Open (Indianapolis, IN)
• John Helms wins the $5,000 Carolinas' Open (Charlotte, NC)
• Neil Connor wins the 1963 Southern Open (Atlanta, GA)
• Chuck Schafer wins the 1963 Gulf Coast Open (Lake Charles, LA)

• Bob Williamson wins the 1964 National Championship (Columbus, OH)
• Ron Nixon wins the 1964 Southern Open (Fayetteville, NC)

• Neil Connor wins Mid-Winter Open (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
• Lee Weldy wins the 1965 Southern Open (Atlanta, GA)
• Tracy Moore wins the 1965 National Championship (Indianapolis, IN)

$1,000 PPA Tournaments listed by PPA Winner - Site (Date)

• Carl Strickland wins the Jacksonville Open (Jacksonville, FL - May 23rd, 1965)
• Lee Weldy wins the Mobile Open (Mobile, AL - May 26th, 1965)
• Ray Wingerter wins the Lafayette Open (Lafayette, LA - May 30th, 1965)
• Al Simpson wins the Ft. Worth Open (Ft. Worth, TX - June 6th, 1965)
• Bob Williamson wins the Albuquerque Open (Albuquerque, N.M. - June 9th, 1965)
• Ron Adams wins the Tacoma Open (Tacoma, WA - June 20th, 1965)
• Mike Fuqua wins the Denver Open (Denver, CO - June 23rd, 1965)
• Lehman Key wins the Memphis Open (Memphis, TN - June 27th, 1965)
• Bob Poltis wins the Morristown Open (Morristown, TN - July 7th, 1965)
• Ken Boy wins the Winston-Salem Open (Winston-Salem, N.C. - July 11th, 1965)
• Lee Weldy wins the Lynchburg Open (Lynchburg, VA - July 14th, 1965)
• Condy Roberson wins the Hyattsville Open (Hyattsville, MD - July 18th, 1965)
• Gary Ganim wins the Cleveland Open (Cleveland, OH - July 21st, 1965)
• Tom Kehl wins the Sandusky Open (Sandusky, OH - July 25th, 1965)
• Vance Randall wins the Ft. Wayne Open (Ft. Wayne, IN - July 28th, 1965)
• Tony Russo wins the Springfield Open (Springfield, IL - August 11th, 1965)
• Jim Harritos wins the Cincinnati Open (Cincinnati, OH - August 15th, 1965)

1966
PPA Player of the Year - Ken Boy
PPA Low Stroke Average - James Cox

• James Cox wins the 1966 Southern Open (Columbus, GA)
• Ken Boy wins the 1966 $5,000 Youngstown Open (Youngstown, OH)
• Richard Buchan wins the 1966 National Championship (Charlotte, NC)

Click here to download the 1966 PPA Fact Book (PDF format)

• Vance Randall wins the 1967 National Championship (Greenville, SC)
• Doyle Smith wins the 1967 Western Open (Denver, CO)
• Gary Love wins the 1967 Cleveland Open (Euclid, OH)

• Rick Smith wins the 1968 Southern Open (Montgomery, AL)
• Bob Marcellino wins the 1968 National Championship (Louisville, KY)
• Bob Lipscomb wins the1968 Western Open (Colorado Springs, CO)

• Rick Smith wins the 1969 Southern Open (Arlington, TX)
• Vance Randall wins the 1969 National Championship (Rockville, MD)
• Daryl Hayden wins the 1969 Northern Open (Youngstown, OH)
• Rick Smith wins the 1969 World Putting Championship