Michael Hitt Fires 71 to Dominate Field in 2005 Wayne Hancock Memorial

10 September 2005 - High Point, N.C. - In the second of two 54-hole events played on the eve of the North Carolina Match Play Championship on course # 2 in High Point, NC, Michael Hitt rebounded from posting a 54-hole total of 95 in the day's earlier event to fire a brilliant 71 and notch an eight-stroke wire-to-wire victory. Hitt shot spectacular rounds of 23, 24, and 24 to win the Wayne Hancock Memorial tournament and establish a new 54-hole scoring record for the course. The victory was the second of the 2005 PPA season for Hitt. 1993 PPA National Champion Andy Coradini and 2005 Palmetto Classic Champion Ray Guthrie tied for runner-up honors at 79, a distant eight strokes behind Hitt. 1997 PPA National Champion Randy Reeves posted 80 to finish alone in fourth position. Rounding out the top five were 2001 PPA Match Play Champion Vince Batten and local standout Lee Witcofski, who tied for fifth place at 81.


Michael Hitt
2005 Wayne Hancock Memorial Champion

Action commenced with Hitt firing a sizzling opening-round 23 and surging into a lead which he never would relinquish. Batten started strongly, posting a solid first-round 24 to assume second position. In a four-way third-place logjam at 26 were Reeves, 2001 PPA National Champion Greg Ward, 2005 Elton Davis Memorial Champion Lance Perdue and Michael Cardwell.

With a second-round 24, Hitt took permanent command of the tournament. Hitt's 36-hole total of 47 gave him a comfortable five-stroke lead over Reeves, who was alone in second place after two rounds at 52. Perdue lurked another stroke back, in solo third place at 53. Bunched in a fourth-place tie at 54 were Guthrie, Batten, Witcofski, and Asheboro standout Bear Landin.

Hitt completed his sensational tournament performance with a final-round 24. As his closest pursuers faded in the final round, Hitt recorded a dominating eight-stroke victory. Hitt's 54-hole total of 71 established a new three-round scoring record for the course. Coradini and Guthrie fired sparkling respective final rounds of 24 and 25 to finish in a second-place tie at 79. Reeves' final-round 28 dropped him into solo fourth place at 80. Batten and Witcofski posted third-round 27's to finish in a tie for fifth position at 81. The cash line for the 17 money spots awarded in the event came at 85.

In the amateur division, tour rookie Caleb Kennedy and 2005 AmPutters.com Classic Champion Jeff Carr battled to a tie at the end of 54 holes of regulation play, finishing deadlocked at a 54-hole total of 83. Kennedy had defeated Carr in a play-off on course # 1 in High Point earlier in the season. The result would be the same for the talented teen in the Wayne Hancock Memorial, as he bettered Carr by three strokes (26-29) in an 18-hole play-off to record his fourth amateur win of the season on the North Carolina Tour. 2005 Palmetto Classic APA Champion Frankie Peters, winner of the Barbara Nance Memorial earlier in the day, finished a stroke out of the play-off, alone in third position at 84. Barry Moore and Larry Hoover rounded out the top five amateurs, completing play in a fourth-place tie at 85.

Play began with 2004 APA National Champion Ricky D. Schults surging into the opening-round lead at 27. Kennedy held second position at 28. Peters, Moore, Chris Alley, and 2003 APA National Champion Bonnie White were in a third-place logjam at 29. Eventual play-off participant Carr was mired in an eleventh-place tie at 32.

With a second-round 26, Kennedy leapfrogged into the 36-hole lead at 54. Moore stood alone in second position with a two-round total of 57. Schults ballooned to a second-round 32, dropping him into a third-place tie at 59 with Carr, Hoover, local APA standout Keith Waters, and Mark Lawson.

Carr completed his comeback in the event by posting a rousing final-round 24, which pole-vaulted him into a tie for the 54-hole lead with Kennedy, who stumbled to a lackluster third-round 29. Kennedy rebounded courageously in the subsequent 18-hole play-off, however, defeating Carr by three strokes and earning his fourth amateur victory of the season on the North Carolina Tour. Peters soared into third place with a final-round 24 for a 54-hole total of 84. Moore and Hoover shared fourth position at 85. Alley, Waters, and Schults finished in a three-way tie for sixth place at 87, splitting the final amateur expense reimbursement spot awarded in the tournament.

Prior to tee off in the event, a brief ceremony was held to honor Wayne Hancock, the tournament's namesake and an amateur division standout prior to his premature death in the early 1990's. Hancock's sportsmanship, putting prowess, and dedication to the sport were remembered in remarks by his cousin and current PPA professional Robert Ward.

The North Carolina PPA Tour returns to action with the contesting of the North Carolina Match Play Championship on course # 2 in High Point, NC. Play in the event begins at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 11.

Scores and Article provided by Brad Lebo and Rick Rybaczek.

Professional Division of the 2005 Wayne Hancock Memorial
(High Point, N.C. - Course # 2 - 10 September 2005)

    Round   N.C. Prize
  Player 1 2 3 Total Points Money
1 Hitt, Michael 23 24 24 71  40.00 $ 150.00
2 Coradini, Andy 28 27 24 79  33.50 $ 100.00
  Guthrie, Ray 27 27 25 79  33.50 $ 100.00
4 Reeves, Randy 26 26 28 80  32.00 $   80.00
5 Batten, Vince 24 30 27 81  30.50 $   73.00
  Witcofski, Lee 29 25 27 81  30.50 $   73.00
7 Landin, Bear 26 28 28 82  29.00 $   65.00
8 English, Gary 28 30 25 83  26.00 $   51.00
  Ward, Greg 26 30 27 83  26.00 $   51.00
  Summey, Matt 27 28 28 83  26.00 $   51.00
  Haizlip, Bob 29 27 27 83  26.00 $   51.00
  Perdue, Lance 26 27 30 83  26.00 $   51.00
13 Smith, Randal 29 28 27 84  22.00 $   40.00
  Comer, Jimmy 29 27 28 84  22.00 $   40.00
  Varnadore, Tony 30 26 28 84  22.00 $   40.00
16 Lebo, Brad 29 28 28 85  18.00 $   16.00
  Carter, Randy 31 27 27 85  18.00 $   16.00
  Cardwell, Michael 26 30 29 85  18.00 $   16.00
  Moore, Gary 30 27 28 85  18.00 $   16.00
  Kirby Jr, Bill 30 27 28 85  18.00 $   16.00
21 Rybaczek, Rick 34 27 26 87  15.00  
22 Baird, Rick 27 32 30 89  13.00  
  Klapper, Jay 31 27 31 89  13.00  
  Stewart, Manfred 29 30 30 89  13.00  
25 White, James 28 31 31 90  11.00  
26 Britt, Darrell 27 36 28 91    9.00  
  Orr, Randy 29 31 31 91    9.00  
  Carter, Rick 34 28 29 91    9.00  
29 Thompson, Don 30 30 32 92    7.00  
30 Sigmon Jr., Russell 33 31 29 93    5.50  
  Freeman, Daryl 30 34 29 93    5.50  
32 Bunting, Chris 34 30 30 94    5.00  
33 Johnson, Robert 35 30 30 95    5.00  
34 Ward, Robert 33 32 31 96    5.00  

Amateur Division of Barbara Nance Memorial
(High Point, N.C. - Course # 2 - 10 September 2005)

    Round   N.C. Expense
  Player 1 2 3 Total Points Money
1 Kennedy, Caleb 28 26 29 83 23.00  $ 10.00
2 Carr, Jeff 32 27 24 83 19.00  $ 10.00
3 Peters, Frankie 29 31 24 84 18.00  $ 10.00
4 Moore, Barry 29 28 28 85 16.50  $ 10.00
  Hoover, Larry 31 28 26 85 16.50  $ 10.00
6 Alley, Chris 29 31 27 87 14.00  $ 3.00
  Waters, Keith 32 27 28 87 14.00  $ 3.00
  Schults, Ricky D 27 32 28 87 14.00  $ 3.00