Randal Smith Defeats Randy Reeves in Playoff for Home Course Victory in Martinsville, VA

Play opened with Brad Lebo seizing the first-round lead at 24, one stroke better than Reeves, Bart Bason, and Rick Baird. Bunched at 26 and in a fifth-place logjam after the first round were defending champion Vince Batten, Bear Landin, local standout Junior Sigmon, Bob Haizlip, Gilbert Sharpe, Tom O'Brien, Jeff Spainhour, and recently-crowned 2005 PPA Dogwood Open Champion Mike Brown.

Lebo, who had won the 2004 Saturday PPA event in Martinsville, continued his steady play in the second round by posting another 24 for a 36-hole total of 48 and a one-stroke lead over Reeves, who also fired a second-round 24. Batten shot 24 as well, moving him into third place at 50. In a four-way tie for fourth place at 52 were Smith, Sigmon, O'Brien, and PPA Hall of Fame member Daryl Freeman, who fired a tournament-low 22 in the second round to move into contention.

The second-round leader found trouble early in the third round. Lebo made a startling bogey on the fourth hole, arguably the course's most automatic ace, and never recovered, firing a third-round 30 and falling out of contention. Playing in Lebo's threesome, Smith took advantage of the opportunity. Aware that Reeves already had posted a 54-hole total of 75 for the clubhouse lead, the inspired Smith aced his last four holes to fire a spectacular final-round 23 and force a playoff. Tying for third place at 76 were Batten and Landin, who fired a brilliant final-round 23 to surge up the leader board. Finishing in a four-way tie for fifth place at 78 were Sigmon, Haizlip, Ray Guthrie, and Lebo. The cash line for the seventeen money spots awarded in the event came at 82.

Smith and Reeves battled to a tie at 29 after eighteen holes of regulation in the playoff. Moving to sudden death to determine a winner, both players aced hole one. Reeves' miss on the second hole of sudden death gave Smith the victory, his first on his home course in a state tour event since the 1992 North Carolina PPA Martinsville Open. Smith accepted both the North Carolina PPA State Championship and North Carolina PPA Match Play Championship spots awarded in this tournament.

In the amateur division, 15-year-old tour neophyte Caleb Kennedy notched the first state tour victory of his young career, firing a 54-hole total of 73. Kennedy led wire-to-wire for a three-stroke win over reigning 2004 APA National Champion Ricky D. Schults. Of particular note was that Kennedy's winning score was two strokes lower than the winning score in the professional division.

Kennedy set an early blistering pace by firing an opening-round 23 for a two-stroke lead over Schults and Larry Hoover. Lurking another stroke back in a fourth-place tie at 26 after the first round were Jeff Carr, Amy Smith, and Chuck Cyr.

Kennedy continued his stellar play in the second round. The talented teen shot 25 to post a 36-hole score of 48 and a four-stroke lead over Schults, who was at 52. Hoover was alone in third after two rounds of play at 53. Carr and Cyr were tied for fourth position at 54. After a disappointing first-round 32, Brandon Whitton charged up the leader board with a second-round 23, moving him into sixth place at 55.

Schults made a valiant effort to put pressure on the inexperienced leader in the final round. Schults matched Kennedy's front-nine 10 to keep pace. Kennedy made a heroic deuce from behind an obstacle and into an angle board on the 10th hole. The door seemed to open slightly for Schults at the 12th hole, where Kennedy made his only bogey of the day. But Kennedy remained composed, acing the 16th and 17th holes to secure a three-stroke win over Schults. Kennedy shot a final-round 25 for a 54-hole total of 73. Schults' final-round 24 gave him sole possession of second place at 76. Carr finished alone in third at 81. Shooting 82 and 83 respectively, Hoover and Whitton rounded out the amateur top five. Five other players tied for sixth place at 82, splitting the remainder of the eight amateur expense reimbursement spots awarded.

The North Carolina PPA Tour held a match play tournament following the day's medal play event. In the professional division, the match play field was comprised of the top sixteen players who attempted to qualify for the match play event. Players were seeded by their finish in the medal play event and played eighteen-hole matches. Thirteenth-seeded Rick Rybaczek defeated sixth-seeded Brad Lebo on the sixth hole of sudden death in the final match to win the event. Lebo aced holes 16, 17, and 18 in regulation to square the match. With honors, Lebo missed the virtually-automatic ace on the sixth hole of sudden death. Rybaczek answered with an ace to secure the victory. Rybaczek beat Ray Guthrie, Mike Brown, Michael Cardwell, and Lebo en route to the win.

In the amateur division of the match play event, eight players qualified for the field. The recently-resurgent Amy Smith defeated Ricky D. Schults on the second hole of sudden death in the final match for the victory. Schults aced the 18th hole of regulation in the final match to force sudden death. After aces by both players on hole one, Schults missed the second hole. Smith's subsequent ace there secured the win. Smith defeated Caleb Kennedy, Larry Hoover, and Schults on her way to the title.

The Virginia and North Carolina PPA Tours will return to action with another dual-tour 54-hole event on course #2 in Martinsville, VA beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 22.

Scores and Article provided by Brad Lebo and Rick Rybaczek.