Greg Newport Wins Bull City Open in Three-Way Playoff
8 April 2000 - Durham, NC - In order to get to the playoff with Andy Coradini and Ray Guthrie, Greg Newport had to fire a final round 22 to make the first three-way playoff since 1997. Newport overcame a six stroke deficit to Coradini to get there.In the playoff, Coradini took the early lead at -1 through 3 holes to Newport and Guthrie's even par. Newport then countered with six consecutive aces to take the front nine lead at -6 to Coradini's -5. Guthrie struggled through the first six holes being even par, but then he made seven in a row starting on hole 8 to even the playoff at -7 after 14 holes. Coradini and Newport then outdueled each other hole for hole until Newport missed his tee shot on 17, while Coradini made it to take the lead by one.
Coradini, with honors going to 18 decided to go for it. The Loganville, Georgia native got a big swale off the back rail and landed directly between the hole and the steep hill before going down the hill and near the tee mat on the left side. Coradini tried to perfect a deuce putt by banking off the right rail and go in front door, but missed, thus had to settle for a bogey to fall back to -9. Newport then casually made his tee shot dead center to finish at -10 and won the playoff. Ironically, the last victory on the North Carolina tour for Newport was in a playoff over Gary Hester in Spartanburg on August 7, 1999.
For the third straight tournament in North Carolina, a playoff had to be decided for a winner. Brian Hutchins and Keith Waters, the two top point-getters on the tour each with two victories this season, faced off for first. The playoff was decided with Hutchins defeating Waters by one stroke, -7 to -6. Jonathan Reid, playing in his first NC event of the season, finished in third at 89.
Newport's victory was the 17th of his career in North Carolina. He is also the first player in history to win at least one tournament held in Durham on both courses.
After Coradini and Guthrie's second place finish, Rich Gillooly and Matt Summey, each having a chance to get in the playoff themselves with an ace on the final hole, finished in a tie for fourth at 78. One other special news of note in this tournament: Rick Baird became the first player this season to shoot a perfect nine in a regional event. The perfect nine came on the front nine of the final round. Fifteen spots were paid out in this event with the score 84 placing for a three-way split for one spot. Newport, with his victory, qualified for the NC State Championship. Coradini defeated Guthrie by two shots for the Match Play spot.
The next NCPPA/VAPPA tournament will be in Roxboro on Course 1, Sunday, April 9 at 10:00am.
Scores and tournament recap provided by Opie Roberts.
Professional Division of Durham, NC Event (8 April 2000)
Round Prize Player 1 2 3 Total Money 1 Greg Newport* 28 27 22 77 $150.00 2 Andy Coradini 23 26 28 77 $100.00 Ray Guthrie 25 26 26 77 $100.00 4 Rich Gillooly 28 25 25 78 $78.00 Matt Summey 23 28 27 78 $78.00 6 Rick Baird 29 27 23 79 $68.00 Mike Brown 28 27 24 79 $68.00 8 Gary Hester 27 25 28 80 $55.00 Michael Hitt 28 24 28 80 $55.00 Thomas Rawles 29 26 25 80 $55.00 11 Todd Fowler 31 23 27 81 $45.00 12 Robert Johnson 27 26 29 82 $43.00 Gilbert Sharpe 27 27 28 82 $43.00 14 Rusty Taylor 28 27 28 83 $40.00 15 Bart Bason 27 28 29 84 $13.00 Bob Haizlip 31 27 26 84 $13.00 C. L. Jones 25 32 27 84 $13.00 18 Tony Jackson 32 27 26 85 Buddy Taylor 29 24 32 85 20 Rick Rybaczek 29 27 30 86 21 Glenwood Arrington 30 26 31 87 Mike Griffin 26 29 32 87 Bill Kirby, Jr. 29 29 29 87 24 Dave McCaslin 30 32 26 88 25 Chris Bunting 31 29 29 89 26 Ed Grajewski 29 30 31 90 Opie Roberts 30 32 28 90 28 Brad Lebo 34 30 27 91 29 Bill Walsh 34 31 27 92 30 Wayne Cheatham 29 33 31 93 31 Tommy Barbour 34 30 30 94 32 David Abshire 33 31 33 97 33 Larry Simpson 34 36 31 101 34 Barry Wyatt 35 36 31 102 35 Gil Logan 34 38 32 104 * Defeated Andy Coradini and Ray Guthrie in a playoff for victory.
(Newport 26, Coradini 27, Guthrie 29).Amateur Division of Durham, NC Event (8 April 2000)
Round Expense Player 1 2 3 Total Reimbursement 1 Brian Hutchins** 30 26 28 84 $20.00 2 Keith Waters 27 30 27 84 $20.00 3 Jonathan Reid 29 29 31 89 4 Wesley Pollard 31 29 30 90 5 Russell Johnson 30 31 31 92 6 Jimmy Comer 28 33 32 93 7 Amy Smith 27 35 36 98 8 Walter Kolb 36 32 33 101 9 Chuck Cyr 34 39 29 102 10 Chuck Nance 35 32 36 103
** Defeated Keith Waters 29-30 in a playoff for victory.