Brad Lebo Aces Final Hole to Capture His Third Virginia Open Title by One Stroke Over Vince Batten
13 July 2008 - Richmond, VA - The Virginia PPA Tour
contested its second major tournament of the 2008
season, the 108-hole Virginia Open, on historic course #
3 at the immaculately-maintained Richmond, VA Putt-Putt
Fun Center. The event also served as a warm-up for the
looming PPA National Championship week, which will be
held in Richmond, VA in September. 2006 PPA National
Champion
Brad
Lebo fired an opening-round 20 in the ideal morning
playing conditions and held on in the swirling winds and
baking heat of the afternoon to capture his third career
Virginia Open title. Lebo posted bogey-free rounds of
20, 23, 27, 25, 26, and 25 for a 108-hole total of 146
to earn his sixth victory of the 2008 PPA season.
Reigning PPA Tournament Players Champion
Vince Batten's valiant charge in the event's final
two rounds fell a stroke short of success, as Batten
carded 147 to notch runner-up honors. Two-time Virginia
Open Champion
Manfred Stewart finished in third place at 148. At
152, two-time PPA National Doubles Champion
Rick Rybaczek completed the day in fourth position.
A three-way, fifth-place logjam at 154 included PPA Hall
of Fame legend
Daryl Freeman, 2003 South Carolina State Champion
Tony Varnadore, and 2004 PPA World Match Play
Champion
Darrell Anderson.
Lebo continued his torrid scoring pace in the second
round, posting 23 to seize the 36-hole lead at 43.
Shively also shot 23 to move into second place at 45.
Freeman held third position at 46. Anderson jumped into
fourth place at 47 after a second-round 24. Carding a
second-round 23,
Gary
Watson leaped into a fourth-place tie with Varnadore
at 47.
Conditions toughened in the event's third round due to
rising carpet fibers and increasing winds. Despite a
pedestrian third-round 27, Lebo clung to a one-stroke
lead at 70 at the event's midpoint. Varnadore, winner
of the previous day's 54-hole event, recorded his
second-consecutive round of 23 to take sole possession
of second place at 71. Bunched in a third-place tie at
74 were Stewart, Freeman, and Shively.
After a short break for re-pairing of the field by
54-hole standing, fourth-round action commenced amidst
tricky, swirling afternoon winds. Lebo posted 25 to
open up a three-stroke lead at 95. By virtue of a
fourth-round 24, Stewart clawed his way into a
second-place tie with Varnadore at 98. Freeman stood
alone in fourth position at 100. The Richmond, VA twin
towers of Batten and Anderson were deadlocked in fifth
place at 101.
Lebo shot an uneventful 26 in the tournament's fifth
round to maintain a three-stroke lead on the field
after five rounds at 121. Firing a fifth-round 23,
Batten soared into a second-place tie with Stewart
at 124. At 125, Freeman held fourth position.
Rybaczek pole-vaulted into fifth place at 126 with a
fifth-round 24.
In the event's final round, Batten continued his
courageous clubhouse run. Lebo started the round
strongly, acing the final seven holes of the front
nine to post an outward nine score of 11. However,
Lebo subsequently deuced the first four holes of the
back nine, leaving the door wide open for Batten.
Cognizant of Lebo's status, the inspired Batten
charged to a final-round 23 to post the clubhouse
lead at 147. Lebo stepped to the 14th tee needing
to ace four of the final five holes to hold on for
victory. Lebo aced holes 14, 15, and 16 to
tie Batten, but deuced the fickle 17th hole to
set the stage for final-hole drama. Lebo's
ace effort on the 18th hole found the bottom of the
cup, giving him a hard-fought, one-stroke victory at
146. With the win, Lebo joined 1996 PPA National
Champion
Mike Brown and reigning ProPutters.com Classic
Champion Greg
Newport as the only players to have hoisted the
Virginia Open Cup victoriously for a third time.
Batten earned runner-up honors at 147. Stewart's
stellar afternoon performance moved him into third
place at 148. At 152, Rybaczek completed the event
in fourth position. Grouped in a fifth-place tie at
154 were Freeman, Varnadore, and Anderson. The cash
line for the thirteen money spots awarded in the
tournament fell at 164.
Play commenced with Walker, winner of the previous
day's 54-hole event, and 2004 JPA National Champion
John Petrie moving to the top of the
opening-round leader board at 24. Carter hovered in
third position at 26. A fourth-place tie at 27
included White and Lynchburg, VA's Bill Petrie.
Walker continued his solid play in the second round,
firing 26 to take a one-stroke lead at 50. Carter
jumped into second place at 51 after a second-round
25. At 52, John Petrie stood in third position.
1999 VA State APA Champion
Malcolm Shumaker posted 24 to tie White for
fourth place at 53.
The amateur competition became as heated as the
day's high temperatures during the event's third
round. After a third-round 28, Walker fell into a
tie with White and John Petrie for the 54-hole lead
at 78. Smith used a third-round 24 to climbed into
a fourth-place tie with Shumaker at 79.
In the fourth round, Smith broke away from the
amateur pack with a sizzling 23, giving her a
72-hole total of 102 and a three-stroke advantage on
the amateur field. John Petrie remained in
contention in second place at 105. White held third
position at 107. Walker dropped into fourth place
at 108 after a disappointing fourth-round 30.
Coffey brewed up a fourth-round 25 to tie Carter for
fifth position at 109.
Smith put the accelerator to the floor in the
event's fifth round, recording a 24 and opening up
an eight-stroke lead on the amateur field at 126.
White took the advantage in the apparent
second-place battle at 134. Walker held third
position at 135. After a fifth-round 31, John
Petrie fell into fourth place at 136. At 137,
Coffey stood in fifth position.
Playing her final round conservatively, Smith posted
a sixth-round 29 for a 108-hole total of 155 and a
comfortable six-stroke victory. The win put Smith
half way to an in-season amateur grand slam of the
four Virginia Tour major tournaments, a feat
accomplished by Coffey in 2007. White completed the
tournament at 161 to capture second place. Walker
and Coffey shared third position at 164. Carter
finished in fifth place at 165 and notched the final
amateur division expense reimbursement spot awarded
in the event.
The Virginia PPA Tour membership would like to
extend thanks to host professional and course
manager Gary Hinshaw, his wife Patsy, and their
staff for welcoming the Virginia PPA Tour to their
beautiful Richmond, VA facility and hosting a
weekend of very successful tour events. Their
hospitality and efforts in maintaining the course in
ideal playing condition were greatly appreciated by
the tour players. The Virginia PPA Tour will return
to action with 54-hole events to be held on course #
2 in Lynchburg, VA on the weekend of August 2-3.
The event on Saturday, August 2 will commence at
noon. The tournament on Sunday, August 3 will begin
at 10:00 a.m. Nine of the eighteen holes on PPA
Commissioner Joe Aboid's course # 2 layout have two
cups. In the upcoming events, those nine holes will
be played using the cups which were not used in
tournaments during the previous two seasons.
Article by Brad Lebo |
Professional Division of the 2008 Virginia Open
(Richmond, VA - Course # 3 - 13 July 2008)
Round Virginia Prize Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Points Money 1 Lebo, Brad 20 23 27 25 26 25 146 25.00 $ 300.00 2 Batten, Vince 23 27 25 26 23 23 147 24.00 $ 200.00 3 Stewart, Manfred 26 23 25 24 26 24 148 23.00 $ 180.00 4 Rybaczek, Rick 25 27 25 25 24 26 152 22.00 $ 150.00 5 Freeman, Daryl 20 26 28 26 25 29 154 20.00 $ 130.00 Varnadore, Tony 23 25 23 27 30 26 154 20.00 $ 130.00 Anderson, Darrell 23 24 30 24 27 26 154 20.00 $ 130.00 8 Grajewski, Ed 27 26 29 26 25 23 156 18.00 $ 110.00 9 Baus, Bill 28 25 22 29 27 29 160 17.00 $ 100.00 10 Baird, Rick 27 24 31 26 30 24 162 16.00 $ 90.00 11 Biesma, Dennis 26 26 30 28 26 27 163 14.50 $ 80.00 White, James 29 29 25 25 28 27 163 14.50 $ 80.00 13 Drexler, Jonathan 25 25 27 27 29 31 164 12.50 $ 40.00 Watson, Gary 25 23 29 29 30 28 164 12.50 $ 40.00 15 O'Brien, Tom 29 29 24 29 26 28 165 11.00 16 Rawles, Thomas 26 29 27 28 29 27 166 9.00 Hinshaw, Gary 29 26 28 30 24 29 166 9.00 McCollister, David 26 25 31 30 29 25 166 9.00 19 Shively, Steve 22 23 29 28 31 34 167 7.00 20 McCaslin, Matt 26 25 30 26 32 29 168 5.50 McCaslin, Danny 32 27 29 28 27 25 168 5.50 22 Sharpe, Gilbert 31 26 27 29 28 29 170 4.00 23 Newport, Greg 26 27 32 28 31 27 171 3.00 24 Summey, Matt 31 29 25 30 29 28 172 2.00 25 Schooler, Ken 27 27 27 28 32 34 175 1.00 Amateur Division of the 2008 Virginia Open
(Richmond, VA - Course # 3 - 13 July 2008)
Round Virginia Expense Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Points Money 1 Smith, Amy 28 27 24 23 24 29 155 20.00 $ 35.00 2 White, Bonnie 27 26 25 29 27 27 161 18.00 $ 30.00 3 Walker, James 24 26 28 30 27 29 164 16.50 $ 22.50 Coffey, Conway 29 28 27 25 28 27 164 16.50 $ 22.50 5 Carter, Ryan 26 25 27 31 29 27 165 15.00 $ 15.00 6 Petrie, John 24 28 27 26 31 30 166 14.00 7 Shumaker, Malcolm 29 24 29 34 25 27 168 13.00 8 Handschuh, Marty 29 31 30 26 27 27 170 12.00 9 Ashley, Rodney 30 26 28 30 29 28 171 10.00 Matthews, Mike 31 29 26 32 26 27 171 10.00 Owens, Calvin 34 28 28 28 23 30 171 10.00 12 Petrie, Bill 27 30 30 28 32 32 179 8.00 13 Carter, Dennis 30 31 33 32 31 33 190 7.00 14 Baldwin, Randy 30 35 36 32 33 34 200 6.00