21 June 2009 - The PPA National Tour ventured to the beautiful and sprawling Richmond, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center to contest the second event on the 2009 PPA National Tour schedule, the two-day, 144-hole PPA Eastern Open, hosted by the Virginia PPA Tour. Host PPA professional and course manager Gary Hinshaw and his staff worked diligently in the months preceding the event to prepare historic course # 3 for the tournament. With the resulting immaculate course conditions, close observers of the sport anticipated prior to tee-off that the all-time eight-round PPA scoring mark of 192 certainly would fall. However, Mother Nature stepped in to help protect the record, as violent, swirling, and often-baffling winds throughout both days of the competition wreaked havoc on field scoring, leaving many players humbled and embarrassed.

Greg Newport

Two-time PPA ProPutters.com Classic Champion Greg Newport drew upon his extensive experience and success on the course # 3 layout to mount a brilliant second-day charge, acing the final six holes of the event to post an eighth-round 24 for a second-day, 72-hole total of 96. Overall, Newport carded rounds of 27, 24, 26, 27, 24, 23, 25, and 24 for a 144-hole total of 200 to match seventh-round leader Jay Klapper for the lead at the end of regulation play. An 18-hole playoff would be necessary to determine a victor. Two-time PPA National Match Play Champion Charlie Greenwalt fired back-to-back 21's in the fourth and fifth rounds to move into a three-way, third-place tie at 202 with reigning GA State Champion Jeff Carr and current PPA Northern Open Champion Jerry Pinotti, who opened and closed the tournament with rounds of 22.

Jay Klapper

In the ensuing 18-hole playoff, Newport aced the first eight holes to build a four-stroke lead over Klapper at the turn, 10-14. After the duo exchanged aces on the 11th hole, Newport recorded a hole-in-one on the 13th hole to extend his playoff lead to five strokes. Newport coasted into the clubhouse, ultimately defeating Klapper by a playoff tally of 24-28 and in the process earning the first major PPA National Tour medal play title of his lengthy and storied career. For Klapper, it was the second consecutive close call in a major PPA National Tour event in Richmond. Klapper also completed the 2008 PPA National Championship in Richmond as the runner-up, losing to winner Kevin Lacey by a single stroke.

Twelve qualifying spots for the 2009 PPA Tournament Players Championship were awarded to the top twelve finishers in the field who had not already earned such a spot. Accepting those spots were Klapper, Pinotti, Bill Kirby, Vince Batten, Michael Hitt, Daryl Freeman, Rick Baird, Paul Johns, Dennis Biesma, James White, Mark Hasty, and Thomas Rawles. The final of the 21 money spots distributed to the professional field in the tournament fell at a score of 213.

Larry Smith

In the amateur division, veteran amateur Larry Smith continued his recent success on the Richmond, VA courses. In 2008, Smith captured the amateur title in the PPA ProPutters.com Classic on course # 3 in Richmond. Carding rounds of 27, 28, 26, 26, 29, 27, 25, and 28 for a 144-hole total of 216, Smith added the 2009 Eastern Open APA title to his impressive career resume. After taking the first-day lead at 107, Smith received a serious second-day challenge from several players. Demonstrating his mental toughness after enduring a delayed and controversial ruling which later was overturned, 1983 VA APA State Champion Mike Matthews wrestled the lead from Smith after the sixth round of the event. Matthews closed with rounds of 29 and 29, however, to drop into a second-place tie at 219 with 2007 APA Tournament Players Champion Brandon Davis. A fourth-place tie at 223 included 2003 APA National Champion Bonnie White and 2007 NC APA State Champion Chris Alley. Accepting the six qualifying spots into the amateur division of the 2009 Tournament Players Championship which were allocated in the tournament were Smith, Davis, White, Ben Blake, Lynn Self, and Barb Mingo. The last of the eight amateur division expense reimbursement spots distributed in the event came at a total of 229.

The PPA National Tour membership extends its thanks to PPA Hall of Fame member and course manager Gary Hinshaw, his wife Patsy, and their staff for graciously welcoming the tour to their facility for a very successful tournament weekend. The tour also greatly appreciates the extensive efforts made by Hinshaw and his staff to prepare the course for the PPA Eastern Open. Action will resume on the PPA National Tour on the weekend of July 18-19, 2009 on the Blue Course at the Martinez, GA Putt-Putt Fun Center, owned by PPA professional Mark Ross, where the PPA Southern Putting Tour will host the 144-hole 2009 PPA Southern Open. The first four rounds of the event are scheduled to tee off at noon on Saturday, July 18. The closing four rounds will commence at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 19.