Andy Coradini Wins 2002 PPA Northern Open (29-30 June 2002

29-30 June 2002 - Richmond, IN - Andy Coradini fired a 20, 16-under par, in the eighth round to erase the four stroke lead held by Randy Reeves and force an 18-hole playoff for the 2002 PPA Northern Open title.

In the playoff, Coradini quickly opened up a three stroke lead after eight holes but saw his lead cut to two strokes after Reeves aced the ninth hole of the playoff. Both players aced the relatively easy tenth hole and deuced the eleventh. When Reeves missed the twelfth hole, Coradini seized the opportunity and made holes 12, 13, 14 and 15 to open up a five stroke lead over Reeves and all but assure himself of the victory. Reeves aced holes 16 to cut the lead to four strokes but bogeyed the seventeenth hole to return Coradini's lead to five strokes. Coradini deuced holes 16, 17 and 18 to win the playoff and the 2002 PPA Northern Open title.

Andy Coradini entered the 2002 PPA Northern Open, played at the Putt-Putt Golf Course in Richmond, Indiana as the defending champion. Coradini won the last PPA Northern Open, played in 1999 in Charleston, West Virginia. Opening rounds of 26, 24, 25 and 24 in the four round played on Saturday, June 29th, gave Coradini a one stroke lead on Kevin Lacey and Dan Anders entering play on Sunday. However, Coradini's biggest challenge would come from Randy Reeves who shot 101 on Saturday.

Reeves opened play on Sunday with rounds of 24, 26 and 26 to open up a three stroke lead on Kevin Lacey and a four stroke lead on Andy Coradini entering the final round. Lacey's final round of 27 left him alone in third place at 207, 81-under par. Reeves played a strong final round and was 12-under after 16 holes. Playing in the group ahead of Coradini, Reeves knew he held a two-stroke lead over Coradini with two holes to play. An ace by Reeves on either the 17th or 18th hole would almost certainly clinch the title. Misses by Reeves on the 17th and 18th holes left the door open for Coradini.

"When he (Reeves) missed I really didn't think I could make both holes. I hit the 17th the best I had played it all week. Never hit that quality of speed before on that hole," said Andy. Coradini knew he had a chance to force a playoff with an ace on the 18th hole.

"When I got on the 18th all I was thinking was not to push it right like I had done the other three rounds. I could not believe it went in when it hit the hole...it must have been 2 inches up in the air when it went back in the hole," said Coradini after winning the 2002 PPA Northern Open. Coradini had fired and final round 20 and forced the playoff that he would eventually win.

The win earned Coradini $1,500 and his fourth major PPA National Title. Coradini won the 1993 PPA National Championship in Norfolk, Virginia, the 1997 Dallas, Texas Open, the 1999 PPA Northern Open in Charleston, West Virginia and now the 2002 PPA Northern Open. Reeves earned $1,000 for his runner-up finish.

Rounding out the top ten in the 2002 PPA Northern Open were Kevin Lacey in third at 207, Brad Lebo in fourth at 209, Bill Baus in fifth at 210, Charlie Greenwalt and Jeff Spainhour in a tie for sixth at 212, Shawn Gilliland in eight at 213 and Dan Anders, Cliff Matthews, Daryl Freeman and Mike Brown in a tie for ninth at 214.

In the amateur division, James Weber of Cincinnati, Ohio used rounds of 29, 31, 28 and 28 on Sunday to catch first day leader Jeff Studer of Greenwood, Indiana, and claim the 2002 APA Northern Open title. Weber's total of 229, 59-under par, was one-stroke ahead of Studer who finished alone in second at 230. Rounding out the top five in the amateur division were Jeff Brown, Anthony Amick and Steve Tanton who finished in a tie for third at 231.

Professional Scores from the 2002 PPA Northern Open
(29-30 June 2002 - Richmond, IN)

		Round									Prize
	Player (Hometown)	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Money	Points
1	Andy Coradini (Loganville, GA)	26	24	25	24	28	26	28	20	201	$ 1,500.00	100
2	Randy Reeves (Montgomery, AL)	22	25	26	28	24	26	26	24	201	$ 1,000.00	98
3	Kevin Lacey (Cincinnati, OH)	27	24	27	22	26	28	26	27	207	$ 800.00	96
4	Brad Lebo (Shippensburg, PA)	24	29	29	25	25	25	27	25	209	$ 700.00	94
5	Bill Baus (Cleveland Heights, OH)	27	31	21	26	30	23	26	26	210	$ 600.00	92
6	Charlie Greenwalt (Indianapolis, IN)	27	24	25	28	26	26	30	26	212	$ 475.00	89
	Jeff Spainhour (Chesapeake, VA)	26	27	28	26	28	24	27	26	212	$ 475.00	89
8	Shawn Gilliland (Indianapolis, IN)	27	26	27	27	26	26	28	26	213	$ 400.00	86
9	Dan Anders (Columbus, GA)	27	24	23	26	27	32	29	26	214	$ 350.00	81
	Cliff Matthews (Arlington, TX)	25	26	26	30	25	28	27	27	214	$ 350.00	81
	Mike Brown (Springfield, PA)	27	31	27	27	25	24	27	26	214	$ 350.00	81
	Daryl Freeman (Bristol, TN)	25	23	29	33	27	25	27	25	214	$ 350.00	81
13	Roger Beckerman (South Euclid, OH)	26	26	27	31	24	26	27	29	216	$ 280.00	74
	Vince Batten (Richmond, VA)	26	25	29	26	28	28	25	29	216	$ 280.00	74
	Greg Ward (Loganville, GA)	28	29	29	27	25	24	27	27	216	$ 280.00	74
16	Ken Hastings (Pittsburgh, PA)	31	23	26	28	25	26	30	28	217	$ 224.29	64
	Randal Smith (Eden, N.C.)	23	28	24	32	28	26	28	28	217	$ 224.29	64
	Greg Newport (Liberty, N.C.)	26	30	25	30	25	25	29	27	217	$ 224.29	64
	Peter Neumann (Blacksburg, VA)	23	28	29	28	27	27	26	29	217	$ 224.29	64
	David Lynch (Dallas, TX)	27	26	28	27	26	29	29	25	217	$ 224.29	64
	Jim Cruse (Baltimore, OH)	23	28	27	29	30	26	28	26	217	$ 224.29	64
	John Napoli (Clearwater Beach, FL)	29	26	25	32	26	28	26	25	217	$ 224.29	64
23	Robert Johnson (Lake Wylie, S.C.)	25	25	29	28	26	28	29	28	218	$ 187.50	51.5
	Jim Heikkinen (North Olmsted, OH)	24	27	23	31	30	27	28	28	218	$ 187.50	51.5
	Dave Nutini (Canal Winchester, OH)	29	23	29	29	29	24	26	29	218	$ 187.50	51.5
	Lee Messinger (Addison, TX)	26	27