Lee Weldy Captures
1961 National Putting Championship

Cincinnati, OH - July 3-4, 1961 - Long, lean Lee Weldy, 23-year old salesman from Savannah, Georgia, spread-eagled the field to sweep to a one-sided victory in the $7,500 National Championship Tournament of the Professional Putters Association.

Weldy, wielding a blazing hot putter, fired a record-equaling 246 total for the 144 hole distance on the Putt-Putt Golf Course at 16 Sunnybrook Drive to whip his nearest challenger by nine shots.

Weldy, scoring his first major PPA tournament triumph, was 42 under par to tie the record set by Neil Connor of Greenville, SC, in winning the 1961 Durham, NC Open two weeks ago.

Connor, 1960 National Champion, and Frank Holt, leading money winner of 1960, failed to make the 147 cut-off point after the first 72 holes of qualifying and watched the final 72 holes of competition from the sidelines. Connor, who had won two tournaments on the 1961 cross country tour, stood at 149 and Holt's 148 missed qualifying by one stroke.

Weldy uncorked final rounds of 29-30-30-31 to come from two shots off the pace at the halfway point and beat Vance Randall of Asheville, NC, who collected $1,500 for his runner-up finish of 255. Weldy, who pocketed $3,000 first place money, scored 46 aces in winning the blue ribbon event of the second annual PPA tournament trail.

Ron Nixon of Columbus, GA, halfway leader at 122, finished in a fourth place tie with Bob Williamson of Jacksonville, FL at 257. Harold Hardester of Orlando, FL, who was one shot behind Nixon after the first 72 holes, blew himself out of the money with a disastrous 44 on the final day. His score card showed one 9.

The low amateur was Jack Bein of Cincinnati, Ohio. His 282 total won the handsome trophy presented by PPA President Don Clayton, who also presented the $3,000 check to Weldy. Jack Horner, Sports Editor of the Durham (NC) Herald, won the National Sportswriter-Sportscasters tournament with a 36-hole score of 64, eight under par.

Professional Division of the $7,500 National Championship

Round Prize
Player City 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Money
1 Lee Weldy Savannah, GA 31 33 32 30 29 30 30 31 246 $3,000.00
2 Vance Randall Asheville, NC 31 30 32 33 30 31 33 35 255 $1,500.00
3 Bob Duncan Lynchburg, VA 35 31 35 31 32 33 31 28 256 $750.00
4 Ron Nixon Columbus, GA 29 32 33 30 36 30 34 33 257 $350.00
Bob Williamson Jacksonville, FL 37 30 35 30 31 31 34 29 257 $350.00
6 Gene McDonald Savannah, GA 34 36 31 29 32 33 34 29 258 $225.00
Ken Boy Bristol, TN 34 33 35 27 31 33 36 29 258 $225.00
8 Gene VonWaldner Savannah, GA 31 34 33 32 31 32 33 33 259 $183.33
Jim Garrison Indianapolis, IN 33 33 31 35 30 31 34 32 259 $183.33
Bill Rettig Cincinnati, OH 33 34 33 32 34 32 29 32 259 $183.33
11 Lehman Key Lake Charles, LA 35 32 32 34 31 34 30 33 261 $125.00
LeRoy Cooper Atlanta, GA 34 33 31 30 29 35 36 33 261 $125.00
13 C. E. Moose Atlanta, GA 31 34 33 31 33 34 34 32 262 $100.00
14 Jim Bryan East Point, GA 38 27 32 32 35 32 32 35 263 $100.00
15 Condy Roberson Savannah, GA 34 33 32 33 33 31 35 34 265 $100.00
16 Roy Collinsworth Macon, GA 33 31 34 35 34 35 35 29 266
Bob McDowell High Point, NC 33 39 34 30 31 33 33 33 266
Don Varney Baltimore, MD 37 33 30 34 37 28 37 30 266
John Connor Greenville, SC 36 36 32 35 32 31 32 32 266
20 Buddy Taylor Baltimore, MD 34 37 33 34 32 32 32 33 267
Harold Hardester Orlando, FL 32 30 31 32 33 44 33 32 267
22 Tom Myers Savannah, GA 34 34 34 35 35 31 35 30 268
Warren Gray Indianapolis, IN 36 30 30 39 34 34 35 30 268
Earl Fritts Savannah, GA 36 32 32 34 34 33 32 35 268
Herb Seaton Johnson City, TN 38 29 30 33 32 37 34 35 268
26 Tom Bennett Fayetteville, NC 34 37 32 33 32 35 32 34 269
27 Daryl Freeman Bristol, TN 33 32 33 30 36 35 36 36 271
Fritz Schafer Jacksonville, FL 37 36 37 32 36 28 34 31 271
Charles Jones Decatur, GA 35 35 36 33 36 33 32 31 271
30 Charles McIntosh Birmingham, AL 38 33 33 31 35 34 32 36 272
Charles Hayes Winston-Salem, NC 32 32 38 35 37 35 31 32 272
Pete Reed Atlanta, GA 38 33 34 36 33 35 31 32 272
33 Ron Slocumb Columbus, GA 38 32 35 34 36 30 32 36 273
W. A. Key Meridian, MS 37 35 31 37 31 31 36 35 273
Irvin Hales Goldsboro, NC 34 33 33 34 28 39 36 36 273
36 Sam Hendrickson Fayetteville, NC 34 36 34 37 30 35 35 33 274
37 Don Clayton Fayetteville, NC 36 36 31 33 33 33 37 36 275
38 Harold Elliott Greensboro, NC 36 32 40 35 32 36 32 33 276
Dave Warrington Jacksonville, FL 40 32 37 36 32 38 33 28 276
Tony Losito Elmira, NY 35 32 38 35 33 36 34 32 276
Gerald DeFilippo Elmira, NY 37 33 36 35 30 36 38 31 276
42 Jack Hamilton Birmingham, AL 32 37 35 37 34 35 35 32 277
Joe Drefahl New Orleans, LA 37 33 33 38 30 35 37 34 277
44 Marshall Seigfred Cincinnati, OH 35 32 34 37 35 33 38 34 278
45 Fred Jones Louisville, KY 36 34 34 35 34 37 37 32 279
Mike Morrisey Louisville, KY 35 32 32 40 33 37 33 37 279
Dick Minnick Bristol, TN 34 31 36 36 32 35 37 38 279
48 Chuck Schafer Augusta, GA 30 33 32 38 36 37 40 34 280
Dwayne Walls Norcross, GA 38 32 33 32 35 35 37 38 280
John Lubbers Hamilton, OH 38 38 31 35 39 30 38 31 280
Jim Cox Phenix city, AL 34 36 35 39 35 34 36 31 280
52 Robert Pruitt Atlanta, GA 38 33 32 33 33 37 40 35 281
Richmond Hobson Shreveport, LA 37 32 32 34 33 43 37 33 281
George Kimmer Charleston, SC 38 30 37 36 32 37 36 35 281
Jack Tucker Statesville, NC 33 37 39 35 36 33 37 31 281
56 Harry Williams Roseboro, NC 40 35 32 39 33 38 35 30 282
Tom Miller Brookville, OH 35 36 41 35 37 34 33 31 282
Jan Bowman Bristol, TN 40 30 34 38 36 39 35 30 282
Charles Connor, Jr. Greenville, SC 40 34 35 35 33 33 40 32 282
60 Frank Reid Atlanta, GA 40 32 35 39 38 33 30 36 283
Merrill Tuttle High Point, NC 38 33 36 36 35 36 34 35 283
Charles Thompson Durham, NC 37 35 33 40 34 32 35 37 283
Bob Cleary Durham, NC 36 30 37 39 34 35 35 37 283
64 John Fish Quincy, IL 38 34 39 35 35 31 37 35 284
George Budwit Pontiac, MI 37 34 37 37 35 31 38 35 284
Jerry Allman Kannapolis, NC 36 32 36 40 40 35 33 32 284
67 Bill Taylor Baltimore, MD 38 31 39 35 35 37 34 36 285
Glenn Garrin Pensacola, FL 35 36 31 33 35 36 38 41 285
69 Jack Thomas Youngstown, OH 39 36 36 33 34 39 35 34 286
Charles Connor, Sr. Greenville, SC 34 35 37 39 37 34 36 34 286
71 Dick Roots Cincinnati, OH 32 36 37 40 31 34 37 40 287
72 Mitch Sachs Cincinnati, OH 36 36 35 39 35 38 37 33 289
Marion Lanford Greenville, SC 36 36 35 39 35 38 37 33 289
74 J. L. Collette Atlanta, GA 37 35 38 35 36 37 40 33 291
75 Richard Hayden Owensboro, KY 42 34 34 37 35 35 41 34 292
Fred Garrison Indianapolis, IN 44 35 30 41 37 38 38 32 292
Robert Forsberg Dayton, OH 38 37 34 38 36 36 39 34 292
78 Paul Garrison Indianapolis, IN 36 39 35 35 35 41 39 33 293
79 Terry Hudson Greenville, SC 36 36 32 41 33 39 41 37 295
80 Greg Smith Indianapolis, IN 38 35 39 34 39 36 39 37 297
81 Bill Stanley Sanford, NC 34 39 35 37 37 40 39 42 303

All score, statistics and descriptions taken from the Putt-Putt Professional Putters Association Newsletter, Volume 2, Number 5, July 5, 1961.

 
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