Daryl Freeman Defeats Randal Smith in Playoff for Victory in Lynchburg, VA

22 April 2007 - Lynchburg, VA - Greeted by a second-consecutive day of pleasant temperatures and sunshine, the Virginia PPA Tour contested the second of two weekend 54-hole tournaments on course # 2 at PPA Tour Commissioner Joe Aboid's picturesque Lynchburg, VA Putt-Putt facility. With each contestant carding a 54-hole total of 79, PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman and 1999 VA State Champion Randal Smith became the first players to post a three-round score below 80 in the two seasons of competition on the newly-designed course # 2 layout. Freeman prevailed over Smith in an 18-hole playoff by a score of 28-33 and in the process captured his second victory of the 2007 PPA season. For the second time in two days, 2001 PPA World Match Play Champion Vince Battenn lost by one stroke, as he fired 80 to complete the event in third place. Sharing fourth position at 81, defending champion Rick Rybaczek and 2004 PPA World Match Play Champion Darrell Anderson rounded out the top five finishers in the tightly-contested tournament.

Action commenced with Freeman and 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo, who interestingly were playing together in the same pairing for the seventh consecutive PPA event, surging into a tie for the opening-round lead. Each fired a tidy 24, which inevitably would tie Smith for the low round of the tournament. 2004 APA National Champion Ricky Schults lurked one stroke off of the lead, in third place at 25. Rebounding impressively from a trying outing in the previous day's event, Anderson carded a solid 26 and stood in fourth position. Bunched in a fifth-place tie at 27 were Smith, Batten, and 1991 VA State Champion Ed Grajewski.

With a sizzling middle-round 24, Smith charged into the 36-hole lead at 51. In hot pursuit in a three-way tie for second place at 52 were the triumvirate of Freeman, Batten, and Anderson. Despite a second-round 29, Lebo remained in contention, in fifth position at 53.

Well into the final round of play, multiple players still had the opportunity to emerge victorious. When the dust finally settled, Freeman and Smith tied for top honors with a 54-hole total of 79, the lowest 54-hole score recorded to date in two seasons of competition on the newly-configured course # 2 layout. A victor would be determined in an 18-hole playoff. Batten finished a stroke out of the playoff, in third place at 80. Rybaczek made a spirited clubhouse charge to post a stellar third-round score of 25 and pole-vault into a fourth-place tie with Anderson at 81. The cash line for the seven money spots awarded in the event fell at 86.

In the ensuing 18-hole playoff, the momentum shifted permanently to Freeman near the end of the front nine. Clinging to a one-stroke lead after six holes, Freeman successfully made a difficult deuce putt on the seventh hole after lagging a large hill on his ace attempt, while Smith bogeyed the hole from the other side of the hill. Freeman aced the fickle eighth hole to gain another stroke on Smith. After Freeman aced the ninth hole, Smith lagged his ace attempt and bogeyed the hole from an awkward position. Having posted an outward nine score of 13, Freeman enjoyed a five-stroke lead at the turn. Smith was unable to mount an inward-nine charge, with both players carding a back-nine score of 15. Freeman won the playoff by a final score of 28-33, earning him his second victory of the 2007 PPA season.

In the amateur division, 2004 Dogwood Open APA Champion Dennis Biesma continued his 2007 domination of the amateur ranks, carding a 54-hole score of 82 and recording his sixth victory in ten amateur starts this season. Three-time defending champion and overwhelming pre-tournament favorite Conway Coffey fell a stroke short of four-peating on Lynchburg's course # 2, firing 83 to notch runner-up honors. Tour fancy James Walker rebounded heroically from a dismal performance in the previous day's tournament by posting 88 to finish in third place. 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie completed the event in fourth position at 90. At 91, 1999 VA State APA Champion Malcolm Shumaker and Nickel Silver 49er-wielding local player Wade Driskill tied for fifth place.

Play began in the amateur division with Shumaker seizing the opening-round lead at 27. Biesma and Coffey shared second place after first-round 28's. Walker and local standout Ryan Carter were tied for fourth position at 29.

Biesma and Coffey separated from the rest of the amateur field in the second round, as each player fired 25. The duo stood deadlocked atop the 36-hole leader board at 53. John Petrie and Shumaker were a distant five strokes behind the leaders, in a two-way third-place tie at 58. Walker dropped into sole possession of fifth place at 59.

With none of their opponents making a late charge, Biesma and Coffey engaged in a third-round duel. Several untimely final-round overstrokes by Coffey led to his demise, as he posted a closing 30 to Biesma's 29. With a 54-hole total of 82, Biesma earned his sixth win of the 2007 season. Coffey finished in second place at 83. With generally high final-round scoring in the amateur division, Walker was able to leap into third place at 88 with a third-round 29. John Petrie survived a closing-round 32 to complete the tournament in fourth position. By tying for fifth place at 91, Shumaker and Driskill grabbed the final two amateur division expense reimbursement spots.

In Old Dominion Cup competition in the amateur division, Biesma and partner Barry Moore posted a two-stroke victory with a 54-hole team score of 81. Playing without teammate Randy Baldwin, Coffey still completed the team competition in second place at 83. The Richmond, VA local tandem of Walker and Amy Smith finished in third position at 85.

The Virginia PPA Tour would like to extend thanks and express its great appreciation to course owner and manager Joe Aboid and his staff for welcoming the tour to the beautiful Lynchburg, VA Putt-Putt complex and hosting a weekend of very successful tournaments. The Virginia PPA Tour resumes play on May 12 and 13 with two 54-hole events to be held on course #1 in Abingdon, MD. The first 54-hole tournament will begin at noon on Saturday, May 12 and the second 54-hole event will start at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 13.

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