Dennis Biesma Earns Playoff Win Over Greg Newport in Richmond, VA (Richmond, VA

Dennis Biesma Earns Playoff Win Over Greg Newport in Richmond, VA

Dennis Biesma

16 May 2009 - Richmond, VA - On a windy spring afternoon, the Virginia Tour contested the second of three weekend 54-hole tournaments on historic course # 3 at the picturesque Richmond, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. Despite the oft-perplexing winds, sophomore pro Dennis Biesma posted consistently superb rounds of 23, 24, and 24 for a 54-hole total of 71 to match defending champion Greg Newport for the lead at the end of regulation play. An 18-hole playoff would determine a champion. After equaling the professional division tournament-low round of 22 in the middle round, 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo seized the 36-hole lead at 46. But for the second consecutive tournament, Lebo missed joining the playoff by one stroke after suffering a third-round bogey on the nearly-automatic hole 2. That exhibition of ineptitude dropped Lebo into a third-place tie at 72 with two-time Virginia Open Champion Manfred Stewart, who charged into the clubhouse with a stellar final-round 23. 2006 GA State Champion Michael Hitt peeked out from underneath the Brobdingnagian 2009 putting shadow being cast by his travelling compatriot Tony Jackson to complete the event in fifth position at 75. The final of the thirteen money spots allocated for the tournament fell at a score of 78.

In the ensuing 18-hole playoff, Newport leaped out to a two-stroke advantage at the halfway mark with 12 on the outward nine. But as Newport deuced holes 10-12, an inspired Biesma took command of the playoff. Biesma fired a brilliant 10 on the inward nine, failing to ace only hole 13, en route to a playoff rout of Newport, 24-27. The victory was Biesma's first of the 2009 PPA season.

Clayton Craft

Playoffs clearly were pandemic in the weekend action. In the amateur division, 2005 Virginia Putting Classic APA Champion Marty Handschuh followed up lackluster opening rounds of 26 and 28 with a spectacular final-round 23 to break out of the amateur pack and join defending champion Clayton Craft, Esq. atop the final leaderboard at 77, resulting in the third playoff of the weekend between the professional and amateur divisions. 1999 VA State APA Champion Malcolm Shumaker and second-round leader Art Koerber shared third place at 79. Reigning Southern Putting Tour APA Champion Ben Blake used a weekend-low second-round 21 to finish in fifth position at 81. At 82, 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie garnered a sixth-place finish and received the final amateur division expense reimbursement allotment.

In a tight amateur division playoff battle, Craft grabbed a two-stroke lead after recording a front-nine 13. Handschuh aced hole 11 to cut the deficit to one stroke. After the duo matched cards on holes 12-17, Handschuh stepped to the 18th tee with honors and with a perfectly-struck ace putt maneuvered into a tie with Craft. Craft followed with a deuce. With the pair deadlocked at 29, a winner would be determined in sudden death. With an ace on the first hole of sudden death, Handschuh earned a hard-fought victory. The triumph was the affable accountant's first of the 2009 season.

The Virginia Tour will resume play with a 54-hole tournament on course # 3 at the Richmond, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center commencing at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2009.

Article provided by Brad Lebo