22 May 2005 - Martinsville, VA - Under sunny skies and with steadily increasing temperatures throughout the day, the Virginia and North Carolina PPA Tours contested the second of two weekend dual-tour 54-hole tournaments on course #2 in Martinsville, VA. The changing course conditions during the event resulted in a general increase in scoring by the field from the previous days tournament. PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman adjusted well, however, posting consistent rounds of 25, 25, and 26 for a 54-hole total of 76, tying Ray Guthrie. Freeman continued his stellar play in the 18-hole playoff, defeating Guthrie 24-28 and earning his first title of the 2005 PPA season.
The days action began with reigning 2004 PPA Virginia State Champion Matt Summey taking command with a sizzling first-round 22, which would be the tournaments low round. Rick Rybaczek loomed a stroke behind at 23. Another stroke back and tied for third position at 24 were Guthrie and Randal Smith, the winner of the previous days event. Lurking in a fifth place logjam at 25 were Freeman, 2003 PPA National Champion Robert Johnson, Vince Batten, Bear Landin and Thomas Rawles. As the temperatures and consequently the carpet fibers began to rise in the second round, so did the scoring of the leaders. Summey and Rybaczek fired respective second-round scores of 27 and 26 to tie for the lead at 49 after two rounds. Freeman made a move up the leader board with a second-round 25 to tie Guthrie for third place at 50. Another stroke back at 51 were Johnson, Smith, and Rusty Taylor, who charged into contention with a second-round 25. Still in the hunt for victory at 52 were Batten, Landin, and Rawles. The third round became one of survival, as the bright sunshine continued to change the speed and conditions of the carpets and as a result caused havoc with field scoring. Only James White would better a score of 26, firing a third-round 25 to soar up the leader board and above the cash line. Guthrie fired a solid final-round 26 to take the clubhouse lead at 76. Playing in the final group of the day, Freeman called upon his veteran guile to match Guthries third-round 26 and 54-hole total of 76, forcing a playoff. Johnson and Rybaczek would miss the playoff by a stroke, tying for third place at 77. Batten rounded out the top five, finishing alone in fifth place at 78. The cash line for the seventeen money spots awarded in the tournament came at a score of 85. Freeman continued his outstanding play in the 18-hole playoff, firing 24 and defeating Guthrie by four strokes. With the victory, Freeman earned and accepted spots into the North Carolina State Championship and North Carolina Match Play Championship. Additionally, Freeman accepted the two-day 2005 PPA World Match Play Championship qualifying spot offered this weekend by the North Carolina PPA Tour. Batten captured the weekends two-day North Carolina State Championship spot by defeating Guthrie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. In the amateur division, Malcolm Shumaker posted rounds of 24, 27, and 29 to secure a wire-to-wire victory with a 54-hole total of 80. 2003 APA National Champion Bonnie White and reigning 2004 APA National Champion Ricky D. Schults, runner-up in the previous days tournament as well, finished one stroke back of Shumaker in a second place tie at 81. Shumaker charged to a two-shot lead after the first round of play, firing 24. Schults and Dennis Biesma shared second place at 26. Another stroke behind in a tie for fourth place at 27 were White and Frankie Peters. By posting a second-round 27 and a 36-hole total of 51, Shumaker continued to enjoy a two-stoke cushion over the field after two rounds. Bunched in a second-place tie at 53 were Schults, Peters, and Walter Kolb, who surged up the APA leader board with a second-round 25. Still in striking of distance of Shumaker in a tie for fifth position at 54 were White and Biesma. With the increasing temperatures and changing carpet conditions of the third round, Shumakers final-round 29 was enough to secure a one-stroke margin of victory. Shumakers 54-hole total of 80 earned him his second victory of the 2005 season. Schults and White shared the runner-up position at 81. Rounding out the amateur top five were Kolb and Peters, who each finished at 83. Saturdays amateur winner Caleb Kennedy earned and accepted the two-day spot offered this weekend for the North Carolina State Championship by firing a two-day total of 158 (73-85.) The Virginia and North Carolina PPA Tours would like to extend thanks and express great appreciation to Glenwood and Edith Arrington for welcoming both tours and hosting a very successful weekend of tournaments at the Martinsville, VA facility. The Virginia and North Carolina PPA Tours return to action on June 11 and 12 with two dual-tour 54-hole events on course #2 in Lynchburg, VA. Play begins at noon on Saturday, June 11 and at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 12. Scores and Article provided by Brad Lebo and Rick Rybaczek. |
Professional Division of Martinsville, VA Tournament
(Martinsville, VA - Course # 2 - 22 May 2005)
Round Prize Player 1 2 3 Total Money 1 Daryl Freeman* 25 25 26 76 $ 150.00 2 Ray Guthrie 24 26 26 76 $ 110.00 3 Robert Johnson 25 26 26 77 $ 85.00 Rick Rybaczek 23 26 28 77 $ 85.00 5 Vince Batten 25 27 26 78 $ 75.00 6 Matt Summey 22 27 31 80 $ 70.00 7 Bear Landin 25 27 29 81 $ 63.00 Rusty Taylor 26 25 30 81 $ 63.00 9 Bill Baus 26 27 29 82 $ 55.00 10 Randal Smith 24 27 32 83 $ 45.00 Bill Kirby, Jr. 28 25 30 83 $ 45.00 Thomas Rawles 25 27 31 83 $ 45.00 Randy Reeves 27 27 29 83 $ 45.00 14 Rick Baird 28 29 27 84 $ 40.00 15 James White 31 29 25 85 $ 40.00 Bart Bason 28 29 28 85 $ 40.00 Billy Caudle 28 30 27 85 $ 40.00 18 Darrell Anderson 27 30 29 86 Brad Lebo 28 27 31 86 Jeff Spainhour 29 27 30 86 21 Lee Witcofski 29 29 29 87 Russell Sigmon, Jr. 27 29 31 87 Randy Carter 29 29 29 87 24 Glenwood Arrington 27 29 32 88 Gary Moore 29 29 30 88 Gilbert Sharpe 27 31 30 88 27 Tom O'Brien 27 31 31 89 28 Bob Haizlip 30 31 29 90 29 Rick Carter 29 33 29 91 Lance Perdue 31 30 30 91 31 Michael Cardwell 29 32 33 94 32 Chris Bunting 29 33 33 95 Jimmy Comer 32 35 28 95 34 Don Thompson 30 35 32 97 Robert Ward, Jr. 34 29 34 97 * Daryl Freeman defeated Ray Guthrie 24-28 in an 18 hole playoff for the victory.
Amateur Division of Martinsville, VA Tournament
(Martinsville, VA - Course # 2 - 22 May 2005)
Round Expense Player 1 2 3 Total Money 1 Malcolm Shumaker 24 27 29 80 $ 10.00 2 Ricky D. Schults 26 27 28 81 $ 10.00 Bonnie White 27 27 27 81 $ 10.00 4 Walter Kolb 28 25 30 83 $ 10.00 Frankie Peters 27 26 30 83 $ 10.00 6 Jeff Carr 28 29 27 84 $ 10.00 7 Caleb Kennedy 29 29 27 85 $ 10.00 8 Dennis Biesma 26 28 32 86 Conway Coffey 28 32 26 86 10 John Petrie 29 30 29 88 Amy Smith 29 29 30 88 Chuck Nance 29 27 32 88 13 Brandon Whitton 30 29 30 89 14 Wade Driskill 28 33 29 90 Jason Paljug 31 28 31 90 Barry Moore 30 34 26 90 17 James LeBrun 30 30 31 91 Chuck Cyr 30 31 30 91 19 Bill Petrie 29 31 32 92 20 Mark Lawson 32 31 30 93 21 Larry Hoover 32 29 33 94 22 Adam Smith 34 31 33 98