Lewis Burton Wins the 1989 National Medal-Play Championship

Fayetteville, NC - July 1989 - Lewis Burton, a 24-year old manufacturing sales representative from Lilburn, GA, won the $20,000 PPA National Championship. Burton fired 223, 65 under par for 144 holes of competition to edge out his nearest opponent, Alan Quinnelly, from Chamblee, GA, who posted a 226.

"I have dreamed about this forever," said an excited Burton after his win.

Burton went into the final rounds with a four-stroke lead over the field and even though he maintained that lead throughout the four final rounds, he confessed he depended on half a pack of cherry Rolaids and a few prayers to make that dream come true.

"I was really nervous and I prayed before every hole." What does a Champion pray for? "I prayed for intensity, patience, poise, and God's will."

Burton picked up a $3,000 pay check for his effort but claimed that the money wasn't the main motivation for the outstanding putting he demonstrated.

"It's really just the honor. I didn't even think about the money all day. I really didn't. It just never crossed my mind."

Burton has been in the winner's circle before, winning the Amateur Division of the PPA Nationals in 1982 and 1983. But this victory was the sweetest.

"When I was an amateur, I shot really good scores but I never knew how I could do against the pros. This means a lot more to me. Today I know that I was able to beat the best putters in the world. At least I consider them to be the best putters in the world."

Greg Ward from Chamblee, GA, finished third at 227. The fourth place finish went to Steve Wood of Abilene, TX, who putted at 229. Jeff Estep of Dayton, Ohio, who also won the $10,000 PPA National Match-Play Classic title during the week of the Nationals, finished in a five way tie for fifth place at 230, 58-under par.

Richard Zack of Murphreesboro, TN, overcame Mike Harney's six stroke advantage to rob the Charlottesville, VA, putter of first place honors in the Amateur Division. Zack posted rounds of 238, 50-under par, edging Haney by two strokes to complete what became known as "The Zack Attack" in the Amateur Division. Zack won both the National Medal, National Match-Play, and two Hall of Fame preliminary tournaments this week, shutting out the winner's circle to his amateur opponents.

In at 257, 31-under par, in the Novice Division were both Matt Jackson of Fayetteville, NC, and Jerry Brammer of Eden, NC. An 18-hole playoff gave the win to Jackson who was a Junior Putter's of America runner-up in 1988, winning a $500 college scholarship.

This was the 30th National Championship sponsored by the Professional Putters Association and its host courses, Putt-Putt Golf Courses of America.

1989 PPA National Championship

Round Prize
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Money
1 Lewis Burton 25 23 28 31 29 25 30 32 223 $ 3,000.00 
2 Alan Quinnelly 28 28 27 31 28 24 29 31 226 $ 1,500.00 
3 Greg Ward 29 26 29 28 30 24 30 31 227 $ 850.00 
4 Steve Wood 28 27 29 30 30 29 28 28 229 $ 700.00 
5 Ray Miller 30 28 26 28 27 26 33 32 230 $ 473.00 
Tom Butler 26 26 33 28 26 29 32 30 230 $ 473.00 
Jeff Estep 30 27 24 33 28 30 29 29 230 $ 473.00 
John Napoli 33 27 26 29 31 29 26 29 230 $ 473.00 
Randy Reeves 32 30 27 26 30 25 29 31 230 $ 473.00 
10 Jay Essary 31 27 27 30 27 31 33 25 231 $ 350.00 
11 Mark Coup 29 31 28 29 30 27 29 29 232 $ 312.50 
Joel Baker 31 28 32 31 26 25 31 28 232 $ 312.50 
13 Bill Kirby 27 26 28 30 29 27 29 37 233 $ 262.50 
Steve Shively 26 26 32 31 28 28 28 34 233 $ 262.50 
15 Kelly Morris 29 26 31 30 33 27 30 28 234 $ 198.75 
Ron Frederick 31 27 29 30 27 29 32 29 234 $ 198.75 
Judy Ward 30 34 27 30 29 25 27 32 234 $ 198.75 
Robert Johnson 27 28 35 31 25 24 34 30 234 $ 198.75 
19 David Powell 32 26 31 28 29 31 29 30 236 $ 145.00 
Larry Simpson 32 28 28 29 31 27 32 29 236 $ 145.00 
Gary Hester 28 29 31 33 34 27 32 22 236 $ 145.00 
Danny McCaslin 34 28 30 29 32 27 31 25 236 $ 145.00 
Steve Haeseker 33 34 27 28 27 24 31 32 236 $ 145.00 
Don Parker 34 33 34 27 28 27 23 30 236 $ 145.00 
25 Bobby Jones 30 27 28 30 31 29 32 30 237 $ 120.00 
Ed Haggerty 30 26 32 28 28 30 28 35 237 $ 120.00 
Vince Batten 31 27 33 29 30 26 32 29 237 $ 120.00 
28 Roland Block 31 24 30 30 34 32 32 25 238 $ 120.00 
Paul Pastilong 34 28 30 29 27 30 29 31 238 $ 120.00 
Greg Sandlin 34 30 33 29 31 29 28 24 238 $ 120.00 
31 Matt Delph 32 30 24 32 33 26 32 30 239 $ 110.00 
John McCabe 30 30 31 32 30 29 31 26 239 $ 110.00 
33 Andy Coradini 30 27 29 27 27 34 36 30 240 $ 110.00 
Chuck Dibbs 27 29 29 28 32 26 34 35 240 $ 110.00 
Lee Fortenberry 32 25 31 28 32 29 33 30 240 $ 110.00 
Bill Thompson 31 31 30 25 31 28 33 31 240 $ 110.00 
Jim Borchelt 27 28 33 31 27 30 33 31 240 $ 110.00 
Steve Guyton 30 29 29 33 29 27 36 27 240 $ 110.00 
Mark Spindler 30 32 31 30 28 30 29 30 240 $ 110.00 
Jay Klapper 32 30 27 36 30 29 27 29 240 $ 110.00 
Dave Taylor 33 31 32 29 26 27 26 36 240 $ 110.00 
42 Paul Johns 26 26 28 31 32 35 32 31 241 $ 110.00 
Chad Greer 35 30 29 26 31 27 30 33 241 $ 110.00 
Randy Orr 30 29 31 31 33 26 29 32 241 $ 110.00 
Todd Barfield 36 31 31 27 31 27 30 28 241 $ 110.00 
Charlie Greenwalt 33 32 30 31 25 26 33 31 241 $ 110.00 
47 Dean Dwiggins 34 27 32 31 30 27 31 30 242 $ 110.00 
48 Nick Gill 28 28 30 28 34 29 37 29 243 $ 110.00 
Buddy Taylor 33 23 34 31 30 29 31 32 243 $ 110.00 
Dan Berendt 35 27 27 32 29 27 29 37 243 $ 110.00 
51 Bill Garrett 32 28 30 25 31 28 34 36 244 $ 100.00 
Jim Palisano 27 29 33 31 28 28 32 36 244 $ 100.00 
Joe Shirey 34 29 30 30 29 27 30 35 244 $ 100.00 
Tom Spiker 29 29 35 33 33 26 32 27 244 $ 100.00 
55 Rainey Statum 28 30 33 32 29 31 34 28 245 $ 100.00 
56 Bob Davis 32 24 34 32 30 29 33 32 246 $ 100.00 
John Byrd 36 27 31 34 28 31 29 30 246 $ 100.00 
Darryl Posey 34 30 29 36 33 27 27 30 246 $ 100.00 
Greg Roberts 42 29 30 30 28 29 27 31 246 $ 100.00 
60 Gene Reams 29 29 31 29 33 27 33 36 247 $ 100.00 
Rick Baird 31 26 28 35 29 31 37 30 247 $ 100.00 
Jim Lohmeier 32 28 28 33 31 31 34 30 247 $ 100.00 
Ed Aitken 31 27 31 33 29 29 33 34 247 $ 100.00 
Jay Strutton 31 28 31 34 30 31 31 31 247 $ 100.00 
Danny Dore 32 30 29 34 34 28 30 30 247 $ 100.00 
Richard Tillotson 31 29 33 34 30 29 29 32 247 $ 100.00 
67 Jim Christina 32 26 31 31 34 29 35 30 248 $ 100.00 
Steve Wiggins 28 30 32 31 29 28 37 33 248 $ 100.00 
Gary English 30 30 33 34 26 26 34 35 248 $ 100.00 
70 Randal Smith 30 25 29 31 36 34 29 35 249 $ 100.00 
Rod Miller 33 32 30 31 34 28 32 29 249 $ 100.00 
72 John Crawford 30 30 33 29 34 33 29 32 250 $ 100.00 
Mark Rainey 29 29 34 34 32 31 30 31 250 $ 100.00 
Rob Poston Jr 38 27 33 31 30 29 32 30 250 $ 100.00 
75 John Wright 35 27 36 27 36 31 31 28 251 $ 100.00 
Terry Phillips 30 28 30 27 34 31 39 32 251 $ 100.00 
Mark Sabel 34 26 31 29 36 31 31 33 251 $ 100.00 
Jimmy Clark 30 28 36 29 34 27 39 28 251 $ 100.00 
Jimmy Mott 33 27 34 29 31 30 34 33 251 $ 100.00 
Tim Ellington 32 33 34 25 33 27 34 33 251 $ 100.00 
Terry Clark 31 32 29 33 34 33 30 29 251 $ 100.00 
Bill Armstrong 36 29 30 33 32 29 33 29 251 $ 100.00 
Todd Viau 34 32 32 30 32 29 32 30 251 $ 100.00 
David Mashburn 32 33 31 35 31 31 29 29 251 $ 100.00 
85 Tony Jackson 35 30 28 31 35 31 29 33 252 $ 100.00 
86 Mike Flavin 33 30 31 31 36 32 30 30 253 $ 100.00 
Rob Poston 29 31 30 37 30 29 33 34 253 $ 100.00 
Art Diamond 33 28 36 30 31 32 32 31 253 $ 100.00 
Gary Benfield 28 32 35 36 30 31 29 32 253 $ 100.00 
90 Bruce Kaiser 36 28 29 30 33 31 33 34 254 $ 100.00 
Angelo Korogianos 33 31 33 32 30 33 30 32 254 $ 100.00 
Mike Brown 35 28 38 32 30 30 31 30 254 $ 100.00 
Shawn Gilliland 36 29 35 33 30 30 33 28 254 $ 100.00 
Gary Moore 34 34 35 32 29 25 31 34 254 $ 100.00 
95 Lee Weldy 30 30 32 29 34 30 30 40 255 $ 75.00 
Joe Furr 30 33 31 28 40 28 31 34 255 $ 75.00 
Enid Klapper 28 30 34 33 38 30 29 33 255 $ 75.00 
Roger Earnhart 35 27 27 37 29 31 32 37 255 $ 75.00 
Robert Carey 32 31 33 32 28 34 30 35 255 $ 75.00 
Manfred Stewart 34 31 33 33 28 31 31 34 255 $ 75.00 
Randall Willett 35 33 31 34 32 29 32 29 255 $ 75.00 
Keith Usher 34 29 37 34 32 30 30 29 255 $ 75.00 
103 Tarron Coalson 31 28 31 30 39 30 33 34 256
Kim Cannauf 31 28 34 30 35 34 29 35 256
Mark Eastridge 35 27 37 27 36 33 34 27 256
Mike Chatman 36 30 31 31 34 25 38 31 256
Rick Gibson 32 30 35 36 34 30 27 32 256
108 Jeff Hunter 30 29 32 30 45 32 27 32 257
109 Chris Belcher 31 24 35 29 38 31 38 32 258
Carl Andrews 34 30 34 33 30 26 35 36 258
111 Mike Kresge 32 30 31 32 35 28 36 36 260
Fred Hallaman 32 34 33 31 30 30 40 30 260
Dan Ashby 31 32 36 33 35 36 27 30 260
Gilbert Sharpe 33 30 37 35 29 31 30 35 260
115 Tom Russell 29 32 33 33 38 26 30 40 261
Bobby Ward 31 31 33 34 27 33 33 39 261
Tony Cameron 33 32 31 33 33 28 31 40 261
Don Nicholas 28 34 36 34 30 32 30 37 261
119 Fred Kerth 31 28 28 33 34 35 37 36 262
Tim Jones 28 30 41 28 31 31 35 38 262
Doug Young 33 34 32 32 36 29 34 32 262
122 Steve Bouffard 34 32 34 32 29 38 31 33 263
123 Bobby Jackson 30 37 34 34 34 30 33 33 265
Dan Henderson 35 37 34 30 39 29 31 30 265
Dave Rollins 37 32 39 30 29 37 34 27 265
126 Fred Pergerson 31 33 30 33 37 37 35 30 266
Howell Smith 33 36 32 31 34 32 35 33 266
128 Hank Mersereau 33 27 41 38 37 29 33 30 268
Matt McCaslin 32 33 42 34 31 27 34 35 268
130 Dennis Spalding 30 34 34 33 38 32 33 35 269
131 Rick Carter 39 31 34 37 34 38 28 30 271
132 Don Thompson 36 30 36 31 34 35 32 38 272
Vanette Block 33 35 33 32 29 36 38 36 272
James Mathers 32 32 39 33 37 30 33 36 272
135 Robert Walker 34 32 38 33 32 34 34 36 273
136 Ed Grajewski, Jr. 32 33 32 35 35 37 35 35 274
137 Earl Fritts 37 35 29 34 30 36 35 40 276
138 Vic Robertson 36 34 32 38 34 35 35 33 277
139 Todd Bare 38 33 27 32 40 32 34 44 280
Mark Hasty 37 30 36 28 36 40 43 30 280
141 Robert Ward 34 32 42 32 36 28 35 43 282
142 Bill Walsh 35 33 35 33 46 34 38 33 287
143 Jim Arnold 40 31 35 38 39 34 36 37 290
144 Richard Mather 38 35 38 39 48 37 40 36 311

Jeff Estep Wins the 1989 National Match-Play Championship

Fayetteville, NC - July 1989 - Jeff Estep of Dayton, Ohio, was intent on proving that he could win again. having gone six years without a major title win, Estep was relieved to hold off Bill Kirby, Jr. of Fayetteville, NC to finish 1-up after 36 holes of match-play. Estep won $1,500 in the 1989 PPA Match-Play Classic.

Zack Attack!

Fayetteville, NC - July 1989 - Richard Zack lives in Murphreesboro, TN. The closest Putt-Putt Golf Course is 175 miles away in Knoxville, TN.

Zack makes the 3 hour drive at least once a week to practice. Practice made perfect as Zack swept the amateur field winning the two preliminary PPA Hall of Fame warm-up tournaments and both the Match-Play Classic and National Medal-Play Championships. Runner-up to Zack in the Match-Play Classic was Bryan Higgins from Columbus, Ohio. Mike Haney from Charlottesville, VA and Rodney Ashley from Hillsborough, NC, finished in a tie for second place in the APA National Championship.

In the Novice Division, Adam Rumsey of Greensboro, NC, ousted Sean McDonough of Charlottesville, VA in sudden-death for the PPA Match-Play Classic win.

1989 APA National Championship

    Round   Expense
  Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Money
1 Richard Zack 31 31 29 30 29 28 31 29 238 $ 50.00
2 Mike Haney 32 28 25 30 30 29 3 33 242 $ 50.00
  Rodney Ashley 32 28 31 29 32 30 31 29 242 $ 50.00
4 Charles King 28 33 30 28 30 26 33 36 244 $ 50.00
  Tom Morrison 34 31 29 29 27 32 30 32 244 $ 50.00
6 Genia Burgess 34 28 29 30 30 28 32 34 245 $ 50.00
7 Scott Sammons 34 29 31 35 31 29 28 31 248 $ 50.00
8 Tony Davenport 28 32 31 30 28 33 29 38 249 $ 50.00
  Rick Welke 32 30 33 34 32 26 28 34 249 $ 50.00
10 Robb Titchell 32 28 32 39 38 24 28 30 251 $ 50.00
11 Wayne Hancock 33 30 29 32 31 30 32 35 252  
12 Chris Robertson 31 28 35 33 31 30 32 33 253  
  Mike Matthews 32 31 32 34 31 31 29 33 253  
14 Jim Cruse 27 30 34 32 33 32 34 32 254  
  Bryan Boyd 31 32 34 35 36 28 26 32 254  
16 Michael Foster 33 34 32 32 32 31 30 31 255  
17 Jeff Brown 33 33 31 33 36 29 33 28 256  
18 Rick Handschuh 29 37 35 31 34 32 29 29 256  
19 Michael Marsh 29 29 29 32 39 33 35 31 257  
  David Gaither 35 30 29 31 28 35 34 35 257  
  Nathan Anderson 33 03 36 33 34 27 30 34 257  
22 Kevin Lacey 33 31 29 32 32 `38 31 32 258  
23 Harold Burch 30 29 39 31 32 30 30 40 261  
  Joel Martin 35 28 38 32 37 30 33 28 261  
  Michael Bell 33 32 33 36 35 29 33 30 261  
26 Scott Mattison 36 27 35 39 36 28 29 32 262  
27 J. Wells 31 27 36 32 36 36 33 32 263  
28 Robby Bryant 32 34 34 32 33 27 37 36 265  
  Wayne Brown 32 34 37 32 39 24 33 34 265  
30 David Sands 36 33 34 30 36 30 34 33 266  
31 Bryan Higgins 30 33 30 34 32 31 36 41 267  
  Danny Gaither 28 34 34 35 37 34 28 37 267  
33 David Coones 32 32 40 32 37 33 32 30 268  
34 C. T. Harper 35 30 36 29 39 32 36 32 269  
  Don Shepherd 29 34 36 37 35 30 31 37 269  
36 Richie Godfrey 39 27 36 33 42 28 36 31 272  
  Brad Lebo 37 34 32 34 35 27 37 36 272  
38 Tim Wilson 33 30 37 30 36 35 35 37 273  
  Marty Handschuh 32 33 43 30 33 31 34 37 273  
  Adam Hamilton 34 34 38 32 32 30 33 40 273  
  Dwayne Dressler 40 37 31 32 33 37 32 31 273  
42 Chuck Nance 32 35 35 39 33 31 37 34 276  
43 Rick Hassebrock 34 35 33 34 37 34 37 33 277  
44 Bruce Nelson 35 32 33 37 41 32 34 34 278  
45 Mike Mills 37 36 32 36 34 34 33 37 279  
46 Lynne Titchell 35 34 34 32 36 39 36 35 281  
  Michael White 35 33 36 38 33 36 34 36 281  
48 John Adcock 36 32 42 30 35 35 37 35 282  
49 Kenneth Everett 33 36 40 33 38 35 33 35 283  
50 William Simmons 39 33 38 36 36 28 36 38 284  
51 Jeff Woerner 32 31 44 32 39 35 35 38 286  
52 John Halmans 32 41 37 31 32 42 38 34 287  
53 Joe Hoot, Jr. 33 33 35 39 42 39 30 42 294  
54 Gertie Halmans 36 30 45 37 47 32 33 40 300  
55 Robert Elliott 41 36 38 38 38 38 38 39 306  
56 Barbara Mingo 33 37 43 42 37 32 41 45 310  

  1989 Novice National Championship

    Round  
  Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
1 Matt Jackson 34 33 31 32 30 33 33 31 257
2 Jerry Branner 31 34