Greg Ward Wins 1999 Southern Open in Albany, Georgia by Two-Strokes
Albany, GA - 13 June 1999 - Greg Ward of Lawrenceville recorded rounds of 30, 26, 28, 27 Sunday to claim the $10,000 Southern Open, his third major career title on the Professional Putters Association tour. The 38-year-old veteran trailed by three strokes entering the final round after claiming medalist honors Saturday with scores of 29, 24, 23 and 27 for a 103, 41-under par total, for the first 72 holes.
Ward's 214 total, 74 under par, in the 144-hole event earned him $2,000 and a berth in the Southern Regional playoffs, a 15-player bracket where the winner will qualify for the $36,000 ESPN Challenge Matches to be played Sept. 14-18 at Orange Lake Resort & Country Club in Orlando, Fla. "I really feel fortunate to win,'' said Ward, who has earned more than $75,000 on the PPA Tour since turning professional in 1982. "It was just my day.'''
Cliff Matthews of North Richland Hills, Texas and Peter Neumann of Fredericksburg, Virginia., shared second at 216. They won $950 each and joined the top 15 finishers in the Southern Region qualifier. Tony Varnadore of Rock Hill, S.C., was fourth at 217. He won $550. Rainey Statum of Kingwood, Texas and Tony Jackson of Spartanburg, S.C., shared fifth at 218, both earning $475. Tom Butler of Erlanger, Ky. was seventh at 220. He won $425. Todd Fowler of Spartanburg, S.C. and Jeffrey Smith of Mesquite, Texas followed at 221, both earning $387.50. Todd Barfield of Fort Mill, S.C., was tenth at 223. He earned $350. Rounding out the Southern Regional qualifiers were PPA National Champion Lewis Burton and Jay Klapper, both of Lawrenceville; each at 224; Greg Newport of Burlington, N.C., at 225; and Kevin Lacey of Cincinnati, Ohio and Randall Willett of Houston, Texas, each at 226.
"It was a great tournament and we congratulate our champion, Greg Ward,'' PPA Commissioner Bobby Owens said. "We are looking forward to heading now to Memphis for the third leg of our tour, the Western Open.''
The $10,000 Western Open is scheduled July 17-18. The $10,000 Northern Open is scheduled Aug. 14-15. The tour culminates Sept. 14-18 in Orlando, Fla., with the $20,000 PPA National Championship and the $36,000 ESPN Challenge Matches.
William Glisson of Martinez took the Amateur Putters Association title with a 222 total. Donnie Carpenter of Conover, N.C. was second at 227. Stan Seethoff of Grovetown was third at 230. Tim Langord of Albany won the Novice Division with a 266 total. Brandon Draper of Albany was second at 273.
A special thanks goes out to Robert and Rheda Hall, owners' of the Albany, Georgia course, for their hospitality during the PPA's stay in Albany for the Southern Open.
Leaders of 1999 Southern Open by Round
First Round Leaders Todd Barfield, Cliff Matthews, Jeffrey Smith 24 (12-under par) Second Round Leaders Cliff Matthews, Brad Lebo, Tony Jackson, Randal Smith, Jeffrey Smith 52 (20-under par) Third Round Leader Greg Ward 76 (32-under par) Fourth Round Leader Greg Ward 103 (41-under par) Fifth Round Leaders Lewis Burton and Tony Jackson 132 (48-under par) Sixth Round Leaders Greg Ward and Cliff Matthews 159 (57-under par) Seventh Round Leader Tony Varnadore 184 (68-under par) Click here for the story of the opening day of the 1999 PPA Southern Open in Albany, Georgia
Scores and tournament recap courtesy of the Putt-Putt Home Office
Professional Scores from the 1999 Southern Open (Albany, GA)
Round Prize
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Total
Money
Points
1 Greg
Ward
29
24
23
27
30
26
28
27
214
$ 2,000.00
100
2 Cliff
Matthews
24
28
27
29
26
25
31 26
216
$ 950.00
97
Peter
Neumann
31
29
24
26
26
27
27
26
216
$ 950.00
97
4 Tony
Varnadore
26
27 28
28
26 25
24
33
217
$ 550.00
94
5 Rainey
Statum
26
28
29
26
24
27
26 32
218
$ 475.00
91
Tony
Jackson
27
25
25
28
27
29
28
29
218
$ 475.00
91
7 Tom
Butler
26
27
28
23
30
31
24
31
220
$ 425.00
88
8 Todd
Fowler
30
26 29
25
28
30 24 29
221
$ 387.50
85
Jeffrey
Smith
24
28
27
28
28
30
28
28
221
$ 387.50
85
10 Todd
Barfield
24
29
26
29
25
28
30
32
223
$ 350.00
82
11 Lewis
Burton
28
25
26
28
25
31
36
25
224
$ 250.00
79
Jay
Klapper
28
28
26
29
29
28
25
31
224
$ 250.00
79
Joel
Baker
28
27
27
27
26
30
29
30
224
$ 250.00
14 Greg
Newport
27
28
25 27
33
29
31
25
225
$ 225.00
76
15 Kevin
Lacey
26
33
28
30
28
27
28
26
226
$ 200.00
73
Randall
Willett
29
27
30
27
28
28
24
33
226
$ 200.00
73
17 Robert
Johnson
28
30
29
28
30
29
26
27
227
$ 173.00
66
Brad
Lebo
25
27
27
29
31
30
29
29
227
$ 173.00
66
Greg
Roberts
27
29
29
27
29
31
25
30
227
$ 173.00
66
Michael
Hitt
28
29
27
30
30
29
26
28 227
$ 173.00
66
Randy
Reeves
32
28
25
28
28
28
28
30
227
$ 173.00
66
22 Dan
Anders
25
28
28
32
30
27
30
28
228
$ 165.00
59
Andy
Coradini
30 27
35
28
28
27
28
25 228
$ 165.00
59
Randal
Smith
25
27
30
30
27
28
29
32
228
$ 165.00
John
Napoli
28
26
31
28
29
30
31
25
228
$ 165.00
26 Mike
Brown
28
27
28
30 31
30
28
27
229
54
Bill
Baus
31
27
29
25
29
28
32
28
229
54
Charlie
Greenwalt
28
26
30
29
29
30
28
29
229
54
29 Bill
Kirby
25
30
26
30
31
32
29
27
230
49
Gary
Hester
31
28
29
32
28
26
26 30
230
49
Lee
Messinger
26
27
30
29
29
31
28
30
230
49
32 Jim
Heikkinen
26
31
29
28
29
32
25
31
231
46.5
Jim
Cruse
30
27
28
30
29 30
30
27
231
46.5
34 Bo
Luthie
28
32
31
28
27
29
27 31
233
45
35 Gary
English
30
30
26
29
31
30
26
32
234
44
36 Bob
Haizlip
29
33
27
29
29 29
28
31
235
41.5
Paul
Johns
27
30
27
32
31
28
32
28
235
41.5
Thomas
Rawles
28
28
31
30
28 32
28
30
235
41.5
Bart
Bason
29
31
32
29
30
28
27
29
235
41.5
40 Manfred
Stewart
32 31
29 27
33
32
26
26
236
39
41 Rich
Gillooly
28
27
31
30
31
31
29
30
237
38
42 C. L.
Jones
27
30
27
29
28
33
34
30
238
37
43 Mark
Hasty
27
30
31
28
31
29
34
29
239
36
44 Dave
McCaslin
29
26
29
37
31
34 25
29
240
35
45 Rick
Rybaczek
31
29
32
30
32
28
30
29
241
34
46 Danny
McCaslin
28
38
28
31
29
35
30
29
248
32.5
Frank
Warren
29
33
29
29
33
32
32
31
248
32.5
48 Barb
Mingo
31
35
33
35
32
34
38
33
271
31
Amateur Scores from the 1999 Southern Open (Albany, GA)
Round Prize
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Money
1 William
Glisson
29
31
27
23
27
29
28
28
222
$ 30.00
2 Donnie
Carpenter
29
25
30
29
26
28
31
29
227
$ 30.00
3 Stan
Seethoff
30
30
31
27
25
29
30
28
230
$ 30.00
4 Ray
Guthrie
29
30
26 30
25
32
30
29
231
$ 30.00
5 Jonathan
Reid
28
30
33 32
27
32
25
31
238
$ 30.00
6 Billy
Caudle
30
30
28
33
28
29
31
35
244
7 Charles
Litrico
30
34
27 29
36
29
32
31
248
8 Brian
Fridley
29
31
34
30
30
34
32
29
249
9 Russell
Johnson
31
33
41 33
29
33
37
36
273