Vince Batten Defeats Matt Summey in Playoff for Victory in Abingdon, MD

Batten continued his stellar play in this tournament, as he posted rounds of 23, 24, and 26 for a 54-hole total of 73 to tie clubhouse leader Matt Summey. The two players completed an 18-hole playoff deadlocked at 26, and moved to sudden death. Batten aced the second hole of sudden death to defeat Summey and earn his second victory of the 2005 PPA season.

Action began with Batten and Thomas Rawles posting 23's to jump to the top of the first-round leader board. Tied in third position at 25 were defending champion Brad Lebo and 2004 PPA World Match Play Champion Darrell Anderson. A fifth place logjam at 26 included 2004 Virginia State Champion Summey, Bill Baus, Dave Taylor and Bart Bason.

With a second-round 24, Batten took sole possession of the 36-hole lead at 47. Summey fired a tournament-low 22 in the second round to move within a stroke of Batten at 48. Summey aced his final eleven holes of the second round. Hovering in a third-place tie at 50 were Baus, Dave Taylor, and PPA Hall of Fame member Buddy Taylor, who shot a blistering third-round 23. Still in contention at 51 were Lebo, Bason and Anderson.

Summey continued his sizzling pace in the third round, acing his first four holes, and seven of his first eight holes. Beginning with hole 8 in the second round, Summey aced eighteen out of nineteen consecutive holes. Summey received an unfortunate kick off of the left rail on hole 9 in the third round, however, resulting in his lone bogey of the day. That bogey would proved costly, as Summey finished tied with Batten for the 54-hole lead at 73. Baus posted 75 to finish alone in third place. At 77, Buddy Taylor was alone in fourth position. Rounding out the top five at 78 were Lebo and Brown. The cash line for the seven money spots awarded in this tournament came at 79.

Both players got off to somewhat lackluster starts in the 18-hole playoff, as Summey took a one-stroke lead over Batten after the opening nine holes, 14-15. Play became more heated on the final nine holes. Batten aced the challenging 13th hole to square the match. The players each aced four of the final five holes, both missing hole 17. With the players tied at 26 after 18 holes, the playoff moved to sudden death. Both players deuced the first hole. With honors, Batten aced the second hole. As Summey's ace effort narrowly missed, Batten secured his second win of the 2005 PPA season.

In the amateur division, defending champion Bonnie White took command of the tournament early and with a 54-hole total of 81 cruised to a three-stroke victory over Frankie Peters. The win was White's second victory in her last three events on the Virginia PPA Tour.

Amateur action commenced with 2003 APA National Champion White firing an opening-round 27 to take a three-stroke lead. 2005 Palmetto Classic Champion Peters, James Walker and Amy Smith shared second place at 30. Brandon Whitton lurked at 31.

White maintained her three-stroke cushion after two rounds of play by posting a 36-hole total of 54. Smith fired a second-round 27 to take over second position at 57. Rounding out the second-round top five with respective 36-hole hole scores of 59, 60, and 62 were Walker, Peters, and Whitton.

White shot her third consecutive 27 in the final round for a 54-hole total of 81 and a three-stroke victory. The win was White's second of the 2005 season and her second in the last three Virginia PPA Tour events. Peters posted a brilliant final-round 24, the low amateur round of the day, to surge into second place at 84. At 88, Walker and Smith tied for third position and split the final amateur expense reimbursement spot.

The Virginia PPA Tour returns to action on Sunday, July 10 at 10:00 a.m. with the contesting of the second of two weekend 54-hole tournaments on course # 1 in Abingdon, MD.

Scores and Article provided by Brad Lebo.