Rick Baird Picks Up First Win Since 2000 Season in the Goldsboro Open
Rick Baird, winner of the Goldsboro Open on the PPA North Carolina State Tour.9 June 2002 - Goldsboro, NC - The NC Tour visited Goldsboro for the first time since 1996. For the second straight day, the weather was excellent with mild temperatures. Thirteen pros and three amateurs competed in the Goldsboro Open.
The course was playing very difficult on this day. Only 5 out of 48 total rounds played were scored below 30. The first round was the only one that yielded two of those rounds, as Bill Kirby fired an incredible 25 to take the first round lead. Ray Guthrie fired a 27 to find himself 2 back of Kirby and 3 shots better than the next group of competitors. Scores averaged 30.46 on the first round.
The second round saw the field get packed up close. Kirby could not get hardly anything to fall and only shot an even par 36 to get to 61. Guthrie would shoot 33 to get to 60, which was matched by Rick Baird and Dan Anders, who would fire consecutive 30's to be tied for the lead at 60. The rest of the field would find themselves bunched up as all but two players were within 4 shots of the lead after the second round. The average score in the second round was 32.23 and not one competitor could get it into the twenties in round two.
In the last round, Baird would fire a 28 to claim the lead at 88 and play the waiting game. Each group had at least one competitor who could possibly match Baird's 88, but it was not to happen. 91 proved to be a popular score, as Kirby shot a 30 to get it to 91, Chris Bunting shot a 29 to get to 91, and Dan Anders and Guthrie shot 31 the last round to get to 91 to make it a four way tie for second. Greg Newport had a chance at making it a five way tie for second, but an unfortunate pop-out on his deuce on hole 14 would ultimately lead to a final round 31 and a final score of 92 to finish in 6th. The average round was 32.31 in the last round to put the average score for the field at 95.
In the APA Division, the competition came down to the final hole. Kenny Goin had opened with a 5 shot lead after the second round over Bear Landin. In the last round, Landin put the pressure on Goin to close within one shot going into hole 17. Goin would bogey the 17th hole to give Landin a one shot lead. Kenny had a final chance to tie Landin on the last hole, but his putt turned at the last second and just caught the lip and stayed out of the hole to give Landin his fifth victory in the eight events he has played. Landin's last round of 29 was the only round shot below 30 by an amateur on this day.
Rick Baird picked up his first win since the 2000 Capital City Open, and with his win, would earn his North Carolina State and Match Play spots. Kenny Goin earned his NC State Spot in the APA Division, and Bob Haizlip claimed his first PPA National World spot by one shot over Rick Baird for the two day weekend total.
The North Carolina Tour will resume play in two weeks, as they are playing their third and final weekend that is combined with the South Carolina tour. The two tours will head up to Forest City on the weekend of June 22 & 23. Action begins at 12:00pm on Course 1 on Saturday, June 22, and the event on Sunday, also on Course 1, will begin at 10:00am. There will be one National PPA World Spot available for the weekend's low medalist.
Scores and tournament recap provided by Rick Rybaczek.
Professional Division of Goldsboro, NC Event (9 June 2002)
Round NC Tour Prize Player 1 2 3 Total Points Money 1 Baird, Rick 30 30 28 88 40.00 $ 150.00 2 Kirby, Bill 25 36 30 91 32.50 $ 89.00 Bunting, Chris 32 30 29 91 32.50 $ 89.00 Anders, Dan 30 30 31 91 32.50 $ 89.00 Guthrie, Ray 27 33 31 91 32.50 $ 89.00 6 Newport, Greg 31 30 31 92 30.00 $ 40.00 7 Coradini, Andy 30 31 33 94 28.50 Haizlip, Bob 33 31 30 94 28.50 9 Hester, Gary 30 34 32 96 27.00 10 Caudle, Billy 31 32 37 100 26.00 11 Carter, Randy 31 34 36 101 24.50 Rybaczek, Rick 32 32 37 101 24.50 13 Roberts, Opie 34 36 35 105 23.00 Amateur Division of Goldsboro, NC Event (9 June 2002)
Round NC Tour Expense Player 1 2 3 Total Points Money 1 Landin, Bear 35 33 29 97 23.00 15.00 2 Goin, Kenny 30 33 35 98 19.00 10.00 3 Perdue, Lance 34 37 33 104 18.00 5.00
