28 June 2008 - Roanoke, VA - The Virginia PPA Tour travelled to the beautiful Roanoke, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center to contest the first of two weekend 54-hole tournaments on course # 2. Recently-installed, pristine rails on all 18 holes greatly improved the consistency of the fifteen bank shots generally employed on the course, leading to some low field scoring. PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman took full advantage of the upgraded playing conditions, firing consistent rounds of 24, 25, and 25 for a 54-hole total of 74 and a four-stroke, wire-to-wire victory. The win was Freeman's first of the 2008 PPA season. Veteran pro Bob Haizlip charged out of the pack with a tournament-low final-round 23 to notch runner-up honors at 78. At 79, former Roanoke, VA local player Dennis Biesma finished third. A three-way, fourth-place logjam at 81 included reigning PPA National Champion Rick Baird, two-time PPA Seniors National Champion Bill Baus, and 1992 VA State Champion Gary Hinshaw.

Daryl Freeman

Freeman began his impressive march to victory by posting a sizzling opening-round 24 to seize the first-round lead. Lurking a stroke off of Freeman's lead at 25 were Biesma and Hinshaw. 1997 PPA National Champion Randy Reeves stood in fourth position at 26. At 27, Baus held fifth place.

The pure-stroking Freeman continued his torrid scoring pace in the second round, carding 25 to open up a two-stroke 36-hole lead at 49. Biesma remained in contention, in second place at 51. At 52, Hinshaw hovered in third position. Thomas Rawles recorded a second-round 25 to leap into fourth place at 54. Bunched in a fifth-place tie at 55 were Haizlip, Baird, Baus, and Reeves.

By firing a final-round 25, Freeman eliminated any drama from the event's outcome. Freeman's 54-hole score of 74 gave him a four-stroke victory, his first of the 2008 PPA season. Haizlip pole-vaulted into second place at 78 by virtue of a tournament-low, third-round 23. Biesma finished in third position at 79. Grouped in a fourth-place tie at 81 were Baird, Baus, and Hinshaw. The cash line for the eight money spots awarded in the event fell at 83. On a dubious tournament note, two-time defending champion Brad Lebo's spirited effort to overcome a horrific first-round 33 fell short, as he finished at 84 to miss the cash line by one stroke and snap a 44-event cashing streak on the Virginia Tour.

Clayton Craft

In the amateur division, two-time APA National Champion and Roanoke, VA local standout Clayton Craft crafted stellar rounds of 27, 24, and 24 for a 54-hole score of 75 to cruise to a four-stroke victory, his second of the 2008 season. 1999 VA State APA Champion Malcolm Shumaker finished in second place at 79. Another Roanoke, VA local stalwart, James Lebrun, also made an impressive showing, completing the event in third position at 81. Pittsburgh, PA's Don Mathews finished in fourth place at 87. Rounding out the the amateur division's top five at 88 were the father-and-son duo of Bill and John Petrie.

Action commenced in the amateur division with Roanoke, VA local player Geoff Boyer soaring to the top of the opening-round leader board at 25. Shumaker held second place at 26. Craft and Lebrun shared third position at 27. In a distant fifth-place tie at 31 were Matthews and another Roanoke, VA local player, Mark Smith.

With a brilliant middle-round 24, Craft leapfrogged into the 36-hole lead at 51. Lebrun moved into second position at 53. Shumaker fell into third place at 54. John Petrie matched the tournament-low round of 23 in the second round and climbed into fourth position at 56. A fifth-place tie at 60 included Matthews and Boyer.

Posting a second-consecutive 24 in the event's final round, Craft waltzed to a four-stroke tournament victory at 75. The win was Craft's second of the 2008 season. Shumaker rebounded with a third-round 25 to finish in second place at 79. At 81, Lebrun completed the event in third position. Matthews finished in fourth place at 87 and earned the event's final amateur division expense reimbursement spot. Carding a third-round 25, Bill Petrie jumped into a fifth-place tie at 88 with his son, John Petrie.

The Virginia PPA Tour will return to action with another 54-hole event on course # 2 in Roanoke, VA beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 29, 2008.