Brown Wins Virginia State Opener in Richmond, VA (25 March 2000)

Brown Wins Virginia State Tour Opener in Richmond, VA

25 March 2000 - Richmond, VA - Mike Brown, who just the week before opened the North Carolina season with a four-shot win in Durham, won again, this time to open the Virginia season. Brown secured his second victory in as many weeks by defeating Dave Taylor in an 18-hole playoff after both players ended the tournament in regulation with a score of 78.

Brown had to come from two strokes behind after the second round to get in the playoff with Taylor, who was one off the lead of Greg Newport. In the playoff, Brown took the lead on Taylor with a front nine of 12 to Taylor's 13, and never let Taylor regain the lead as he fired a playoff round of 24 to win the first tournament of the 2000 Virginia season. It was Brown's fourth within the last two seasons in Richmond on Course 3, including last year's Virginia Open.

Rounding out top five for the pro division were Newport, Robert Johnson, and Buddy Taylor all shooting 79. There were 22 pros and 19 amateurs in this tournament where 82 placed as the final cash spot for the pros and 83 finished last cash for the APA.

Amy Smith also came from behind to win her first APA career tournament ever, when she fired a final round 25 to win by one shot over 1999 Virginia APA State Champion Malcolm Shumaker and Jonathan Moore.

Brown will get to defend his title on Sunday, March 26, at 11 AM on the same Course 3 in Richmond. After that, the next event on the Virginia schedule will be in two weeks when they join the North Carolina tour in Durham on Saturday, April 8 at 12 PM, and on Sunday, April 9, in Roxboro at 10 AM.

Scores and tournament recap provided by Opie Roberts.

		Round				Prize
	Player	1	2	3	Total	Money
1	Mike Brown**	24	29	25	78	$200.00
2	Dave Taylor	27	25	26	78	$110.00
3	Robert Johnson	28	27	24	79	$75.00
	Greg Newport	26	25	28	79	$75.00
	Buddy Taylor	25	27	27	79	$75.00
6	Brad Lebo	29	24	27	80	$43.00
	Gilbert Sharpe	30	24	26	80	$43.00
	Rusty Taylor	27	29	24	80	$43.00
9	Darrell Anderson	29	24	27	81	$40.00
	Ken Cook	24	28	28	81	$40.00
11	Kevin Garrett	25	32	25	82	$40.00
12	Wayne Cheatham	26	26	31	83
13	Gary Hinshaw	30	33	23	86
	Rick Rybaczek	30	27	29	86
	Matt Summey	29	29	28	86
16	Opie Roberts	29	28	30	87
17	Rich Gillooly	31	25	32	88
18	Ed Grajewski	32	27	30	89
	Gil Logan	29	31	29	89
20	Thomas Rawles	30	32	28	90
	Manfred Stewart	29	30	31	90
22	Bart Bason	32	29	31	92

		Round				Expense
	Player	1	2	3	Total	Reimbursement
1	Amy Smith	28	28	25	81	$20.00
2	Jonathan Moore	29	26	27	82	$20.00
	Malcolm Shumaker	27	27	28	82	$20.00
4	Steven Jones	29	28	26	83	$20.00
	John Warriner	29	26	28	83	$20.00
6	Walter Kolb	28	28	28	84
7	Bob Chetister	26	32	28	86
	Jeremy Knutson	27	27	32	86
	Wesley Pollard	30	26	30	86
10	Wayne Saunders	32	26	29	87
11	Chuck Cyr	28	30	30	88
	Nat Morva	25	32	31	88
13	Bill Garrett	31	28	30	89
14	David Sharp	31	33	26	90
	Phillip Wagoner	29	33	28	90
16	Bob Allen	32	28	31	91
	Matt Coghill	33	29	31	91
	Mike Grant	28	29	34	91
19	Russell Johnson	32	31	33	96