Rick Rybaczek Fires 82 for
Victory in Lynchburg, VA

21 April 2007 - Lynchburg, VA - On a sunny and pleasant spring day, PPA Tour Commissioner and course owner Joe Aboid welcomed the Virginia PPA Tour to a weekend of tour events on the beautifully-maintained but very challenging course # 2 in Lynchburg, VA. In the first of two weekend 54-hole tournaments, 2004 PPA National Doubles Champion Rick Rybaczek skillfully managed his game through the maze of potential trouble on the course # 2 layout, posting steady rounds of 29, 27, and 26 for a 54-hole total of 82 and a one-stroke victory. The win was the first of the young 2007 PPA season for Rybaczek. 2006 PPA National Champion and three-time defending champion Brad Lebo fell a stroke short of notching a four-peat, firing 83 and sharing runner-up honors with 2001 PPA World Match Play Champion Vince Batten. 2004 APA National Champion Ricky Schults and the recently-surging Tom O'Brien tied for fourth position at 87.

Play began with 1991 VA State Champion Ed Grajewski muscling his way to the top of the first-round leader board with a brilliant opening-round 24, which was the low round of the tournament in the professional field. Lebo was in close pursuit, in second place at 25. Schults and 1999 VA State Champion Randal Smith were tied for third position at 28. A fifth-place logjam at 29 included Rybaczek, Batten, O'Brien, and 2004 VA State Champion Matt Summey.

In the second round of action, opening-round leader Grajewski endured a rendezvous with much of the lurking trouble on the mentally-taxing course # 2 layout, struggling to a middle-round 35 and falling from contention. Despite a poorly-managed second-round 30, Lebo seized the 36-hole lead at 55. Rybaczek and Batten each fired a second-round 27 and hovered in second place, just a stroke off of the lead at 56. Schults held fourth place at 57. At 58, O'Brien and Smith shared fifth position.

The final round developed into a three-player battle between Rybaczek, Lebo, and Batten. Lebo's lackluster final-round 28 was enough to allow him to post the early 54-hole clubhouse lead at 83. Playing a group ahead of Batten, Rybaczek was cognizant that he would defeat Lebo and Batten by making a mere deuce on the final hole. The renowned wind specialist prudently laid up his final hole tee shot for a tap-in par and in the process earned a one-stroke victory with a 54-hole total of 82. The win was the first of the 2007 PPA season for Rybaczek, who in the process recorded his tenth career professional victory. Batten aced his final hole to tie Lebo for second place at 83. At 87, Schults and O'Brien shared fourth position. The cash line for the eight professional money spots awarded in the tournament fell at 91.

In the amateur division of action, two-time defending champion and prohibitive pre-tournament favorite Conway Coffey lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him, recording roller coaster rounds of 30, 22, and 29 for a 54-hole total of 81 and a six-stroke victory, his first of the 2007 season. 1999 VA APA State Champion Malcolm Shumaker finished a distant second at 87. Five-time 2007 amateur winner Dennis Biesma completed the event in third place at 90. At 91, 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie and 2006 Virginia Open APA Champion Barry Moore tied for fifth position.

Amateur division action commenced with Roanoke local player Mark Smith carding a solid opening-round 28 to take the 18-hole lead. Shumaker and Moore lurked a stroke behind in a second-place tie at 29. Coffey began the tournament inauspiciously, posting 30 to share fourth position with Richmond local stalwart Amy Smith.

The tide turned quickly in the second round in the amateur division, as Coffey fired a blazing middle-round 22, the low round of the weekend in either the professional or amateur division. With that spectacular second-round score, Coffey bullied his way to the top of the 36-hole leader board, taking a five-stroke lead at 52. Shumaker continued his steady play, firing 28 to remain in second place at 57. Moore dropped to third position at 60. Biesma stood in fourth place at 61. At 62, John Petrie moved into fifth position.

With none of his competitors making a final-round charge, Coffey negotiated a conservative final-round 29 to earn a six-stroke victory at 81 and record a three-peat on course # 2. Shumaker finished in second place at 87. By virtue of a final-round 29, Biesma leapfrogged into third position at 90. John Petrie and Moore grabbed the final amateur division expense reimbursement spots awarded in the event by tying for fifth place at 91.

The Virginia PPA Tour will return to action with another 54-hole event on course # 2 in Lynchburg, VA beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 22.

Scores and Article provided by Brad Lebo, Rick Rybaczek and AmPutters.com.