Randy Reeves Defeats Ward and Klapper in Playoff for Victory (Martinez, GA

Randy Reeves Defeats Greg Ward and Jay Klapper in Playoff for Victory

29 May 2005 - Martinez, GA - Three rounds was not enough for three players and an extra round was not enough for two of those as a classic sudden death battle ensued with a winning deuce putt from the downslope on hole 2 on Sunday. It also took a massive comeback for Randy Reeves just to get into a playoff.

With the start of the tournament played two hours earlier, scores on Sunday expected to be lower. Through the first two rounds, it looked as if someone would break 70, but the heat that jumped the thermometer to near 90 degrees put a halt on a possible 54-hole course record in Martinez.

Randy Reeves
2005 PPA Augusta Open Champion

Jay Klapper was in the lead group and started play with a flourish. Opening the tournament with 10 consecutive aces, Klapper stormed out in front with a round of 22. However, the lead did not lead last long in the first round as Gary English, playing in the fifth group, fired aces on the final 10 holes and grabbed the lead at 21. Randy Orr also fired a 22 that made the leader board interesting. It had looked like a three-player battle throughout the day as there were no 23's or 24's sent in thereafter.

Reeves was six out after the first round and had to make his move toward the top beginning in the middle round. Both English and Klapper fired rounds of 26 and 25 to stay atop the lead at 47. Greg Ward fired a 22 in the round to move to within one of the lead, and Orr shot 26 to stay within a shot of the lead. Reeves' 23 moved him to fifth, tied with Darrell Britt at 50.

In the final round, action was intense as the heat. The first group, consisting of Klapper, Ward, and Saturday's winner Frank Warren, all fired rounds of 25 and 26. Ward's 25 and Klapper's 26 gave themselves a score of 73. Reeves, playing in the following group, closed his comeback with a round of 23, including an ace on the "baseball diamond" hole 18, and finished tied at 73.

English had the opportunity to post his first South Carolina tour victory ever. All English needed was an ace and a par on the final two holes to do so, but his luck would turn the other direction. On 17, his tee shot sailed past the hole and had his deuce putt lip out and settled for three. English then would need to ace the final hole to force a four-way playoff.

On 18, English's tee shot got a kick off "third base" to the back rail and stymied behind "second base". Although his chances of winning had ended there, he still had to make the deuce to finish alone in fourth. On his deuce putt, his ball came off the same rail, but would hit his foot as he was unable to maneuver away from the line of play and his ball ended up in a much tougher position. After a rules briefing which caused a 15-minute delay, the South Committee unanimously voted to have English's ball put back at the original spot where he played his deuce putt and count a penalty stroke. English then proceeded to play the same shot, but left-handed to keep himself out of further trouble. English proceeded to tap in for five and finished tied for fourth at 77.

An 18-hole playoff was in store for the three that finished at 73. Reeves and Klapper both shot 25, and Ward was nowhere close to them. The playoff went to sudden death, where both Klapper and Reeves made the first hole. On the second hole, Klapper, having honors, missed his tee shot and went down the hill on the left corner. Klapper would lip out his deuce putt and made bogey from there. Reeves also missed his tee shot, but was hit firm as well and the ball landed in the same area Klapper was in. After studying his deuce putt, Reeves came through and sank it in to collect the win. Reeves would post his second victory of the season; having the 2005 Carolinas' Open as well.

Another playoff was decided in the APA Division and the outcome was bigger than anticipated. Chris Hudson held a six-shot lead on Ricky Schults through 10 holes of the playoff round before he nearly relinquished it. Hudson held on to a two-shot win in the playoff with a round of 28 for his second South Carolina win of the season and third overall. Both players posted scores of 82, with Dennis Biesma and Larry Smith finishing tied for third at 84.

Special thanks go out to Mark Ross and the staff at the Putt-Putt Fun Center in Martinez for hosting an excellent weekend, and to the staff of Hooter's in Augusta for their help in the supply of refreshments on Saturday. The South Carolina Tour will return to Martinez on August 6 & 7 and will compete on the Blue Course.

The tour will play again next weekend in Spartanburg on Course 1. The Palmetto Classic, being defended by Michael Hitt, will be played on Sunday, June 5 at 10:00am. The prelude to the event will be on Saturday, June 4, at 12:00pm.

Tournament results provided by Frank Warren and Opie Roberts.