25 July 2009 - Richmond, VA - The Virginia PPA Tour held the first of two weekend tournaments on historic course # 3 at the beautiful Richmond, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. Violent, swirling, and baffling winds similar to those tormenting players in June's PPA Eastern Open once again led to erratic and widely-ranging field scoring.

Daryl Freeman

PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman drew upon his veteran guile to overcome the challenging playing conditions in dominating fashion. With rounds of 22, 24, and 25 for a 54-hole total of 71, Freeman earned his first victory of the 2009 PPA season. Richmond local stalwart Ed Grajewski played steadily, firing 74 to secure runner-up honors. A three-way, third-place tie at 76 included 2007 PPA Tournament Players Champion Vince Batten, reigning Dogwood Open Champion Dennis Biesma, and two-time PPA National Doubles Champion Rick Rybaczek. Thomas Rawles recorded a tournament-low round of 21 in the opening round and held on to share eleventh place. The final of the twelve money spots awarded in the event fell at a 54-hole total of 79.

Bill Petrie

In the amateur division, 2009 Dogwood Open APA Champion Bill Petrie continued his recent stellar play by carding rounds of 26, 23, and 27 for a 54-hole score of 76 to capture his second triumph of the 2009 season. Charleston, WV's Terry Sanner shot 78 to finish second. 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie dished out a score of 79 to complete the tournament in third place. At 83, five-time Virginia APA State Champion Chuck Dibbs finished in fourth position. Rounding out the top five amateur division finishers at 84 was amateur division defending champion Malcolm Shumaker. In sixth place at 87, two-time APA National Champion Clayton Craft, Esq. received the last of the amateur division expense reimbursement spots distributed in the tournament.

The Virginia PPA Tour returns to action with the contesting of its third major tournament of the season, the 108-hole Virginia Open. That event will commence at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 26, 2009.