Mike Brown Wins 2002 Howard Loy Memorial in Burlington, NC
Mike Brown playing in the 2000 PPA National Championship.14 April 2002 - Burlington, NC - To win at the famed Burlington course, you have to have your A game going for 54 holes and not slip away from the competition toward the end. In this case, Jimmy Comer's bid for the first North Carolina upset win since Opie Roberts' incredible come from behind output in Winston-Salem last August was thwarted by front nine troubles in the final round.
Instead, Mike Brown made the Howard Loy Memorial as his third consecutive single's victory on the North Carolina tour dating back to end of last year, where he won the 2001 Elton Davis Memorial on this very course, and the 2001 Match Play Championship in Durham. Brown bested his rounds each time out and came from three down after the first round to win in outstanding fashion on Sunday.
Last season in this event, a North Carolina tour record of 64 competed and it had to be decided in a playoff between Greg Newport and Peter Neumann. Newport would wind up defeating Neumann despite Neumann blowing a four-shot lead with 18 holes to play in regulation and two separate rain delays in the process. On Sunday, the two were paired off 1 & 2 by luck of draw. Neumann jumped out in front with a 24 to take a one-stroke lead over Comer.
It was Comer's turn in the second round to get his first taste of a lead as a PPA professional. Comer carded a second round 26 to take a one-shot lead over Brown and Neumann. Comer would then find out what it was like to have pressure going into the final round with the lead. A costly bogey on 6 and an errant tee shot on 8 resulting in a double bogey erased any chances of his first PPA win in only three attempts as a pro.
Brown jumped out in the third and final round by acing 10 of the first 14 he played and cruised to a huge win of five shots. By firing a final round 24 (tied for lowest round of the day on Course 1), Brown was the only player breaking 80 for the afternoon. Brown won the 29-player field on a beautiful day in Burlington with a final score of 76, and made it four consecutive North Carolina tournaments this season that the winner has won in the 70's.
This was also the first North Carolina event for Brian Hutchins this season in the APA Division. Hutchins won the close battle played on Course 2 between himself and two other newcomers to the APA ranks. Consistent and consecutive rounds of 26 across the board gave Hutchins a slim one-shot victory over local player Lance Perdue, who fired a final round 25 to edge out Gerald Vick for second.
Vick, also in his first APA event in his career, grabbed the first round lead at 24, and fell to second after a 29 got him to 53, trailing Hutchins by a shot. Perdue was two back and posted a final round 25 to finish second at 79, while Vick ended up in third at 80. The win for Hutchins is his first this season on any state tour level.
Neumann and Newport each finished tied for second at 81, and had to play off for the World Match Play spot since Brown did not enter himself in it. This time, Neumann got revenge on Newport. Newport had a one-shot lead going into the final hole, lagged the hill and on the return, the ball stopped short on the carpet at the edge of tee mat. Newport missed the long deuce putt and settle for a bogey three, and Neumann casually made 18 dead center to earn the World spot, his first of the season.
Rick Baird placed fourth in the Pro Division on Course 1 with a final score of 82, while Jimmy Comer joined local player Mike Griffin and Rick Rybaczek to a fifth place tie at 83. There were fourteen spots again paying out in the Pro Division. The cash line stood at 86 and was a four-way split for the final available spot.
Brown took the State Championship spot to be played in High Point and the fourth Match Play spot to be determined in Lumberton later this year. Neumann, as indicated, grabbed the World Match Play spot. Russell Sigmon, Jr. was the two-day low qualifier in the APA and accepted that spot.
North Carolina will be back in action next weekend in Rock Hill. They will be joining up with the South Carolina tour for a rare doubleheader day on Saturday, April 20 on Course 2. Tee-off time is scheduled for 10:00am and the second event will be played one hour immediately after the first one is completed. The following day is the South Carolina Match Play Championship that will be played at 9:00am. It is an open tournament and is not counted any toward the North Carolina tour.
Scores and tournament recap provided by Opie Roberts.
Professional Division of Howard Loy Memorial
Burlington, NC Event (14 April 2002)
Round Prize Player 1 2 3 Total Money 1 Mike Brown 27 25 24 76 $150.00 2 Peter Neumann 24 28 29 81 $100.00 Greg Newport 28 28 25 81 $100.00 4 Rick Baird 28 28 26 82 $80.00 5 Jimmy Comer 28 26 32 83 $70.00 Mike Griffin 27 27 29 83 $70.00 Rick Rybaczek 30 28 25 83 $70.00 8 Dan Anders 28 26 30 84 $51.00 Vince Batten 28 28 28 84 $51.00 Gary Hester 26 30 28 84 $51.00 Randy Reeves 29 29 26 84 $51.00 12 Ray Guthrie 28 28 29 85 $40.00 Bob Haizlip 29 27 29 85 $40.00 14 Tommy Barbour 29 32 25 86 $10.00 Michael Hitt 29 28 29 86 $10.00 Robert Johnson 31 27 28 86 $10.00 Opie Roberts 28 28 30 86 $10.00 18 Billy Caudle 27 31 29 87 19 Glenwood Arrington 26 29 33 88 Chris Bunting 27 31 30 88 Andy Coradini 29 29 30 88 22 Larry Simpson 27 27 34 89 Tony Varnadore 28 30 31 89 24 Darrell Anderson 34 28 28 90 Randy Carter 29 31 30 90 26 C. L. Jones 34 29 29 92 27 Gary Moore 30 29 34 93 Don Thompson 32 33 28 93 29 Michael Cardwell 34 32 32 98 Amateur Division of Howard Loy Memorial
Burlington, NC Event (14 April 2002)
Round Expense Player 1 2 3 Total Reimbursement 1 Brian Hutchins 26 26 26 78 $15.00 2 Lance Perdue 27 27 25 79 $15.00 3 Gerald Vick 24 29 27 80 $10.00 4 Russell Sigmon, Jr. 29 27 26 82 $5.00 5 Keith Waters 25 30 29 84 6 Ben Blake 28 31 28 87 Bear Landin 29 34 24 87 8 Bob Chetister 27 32 29 88 9 Todd Trent 28 32 30 90 10 Walter Kolb 29 29 34 92 11 David Gregor 30 29 34 93 12 Chuck Nance 27 31 36 94 Adam Smith 32 29 33 94 14 Mark Rinker 34 34 30 98
