Richmond, VA 2006-07 Polar Bear League
The Richmond Polar Bear League will kick off its 7^th season on November 7 at 7:15 p.m., and Barry Moore will be looking to claim his second straight championship. 54 hole tournaments will take place every Tuesday night at 7:15 p.m. through mid-March, and Polar Bear rules (play in twosomes, most deuce putts good, $10 entry fee, etc.) will be in effect. In addition to weekly tournaments, the following majors will take place:

• November 24-25 - Iron Man VI (50 rounds - 10 a.m. on 11/24 and 9 a.m. on 11/25)
• January 1 - Y2K Open VII (9 rounds - 1 p.m.)
• February 11 - RichmondPPA.com Open II (12 rounds - 1 p.m.)
• March 4 - Tournament of Champions (12 rounds - 1 p.m.)

Richmond, VA 2005-06 Polar Bear League
With the summer season winding down over the next few weeks, preparations are being made for the 6th annual Polar Bear League, which begins play on Tuesday, November 1st, 2005, and runs through March 14th, 2006.

In addition to weekly play under modified winter rules (straight tee offs, play in twosomes, start at 7 PM, etc.), this year's calendar includes the 5th annual Iron Man Challenge (November 25th and 26th), the 7th annual Y2K Open (January 1st, 2006), the Tournament of Champions in March, and the newly added Match Play Championship (date TBD).

Marty Handschuh is the defending champion and will look to add a third title to his collection. Gil Logan, coordinator of Polar Bear play, will also be looking to add a third title. Others expected to be factors in the league include Ed Grajewski, Rich Handschuh, Barry Moore, James Walker and Brandon Whitton. More details will be posted in the upcoming weeks.

Vince Batten Continues World Record Pace with Second 65

16 August 2005 - Richmond, VA - Professional Putter Vince Batten continued his record setting ways this evening with his second consecutive score of 65, 43 strokes under par, for a 54 hole tournament on course number one at the Putt-Putt Golf Course on Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond, VA.

Six weeks ago, Batten, from Mechanicsville, Va. broke the three round world record of 66 held for twenty eight years by Steve Lyon of Smyrna, Ga. This time it only took forty two days to best the old record again as Batten fired rounds of 24, 21 and 20 on a night that started with a forty five minute rain delay and began in a light drizzle.

Batten started the tournament with a front nine 14. As the rain subsided, he found his stroke on the back nine, and moved one stroke behind first round leader Gary Hinshaw. Batten and Hinshaw were tied for the lead after two rounds at 45, twenty seven under par. Batten sealed the win by running out to a three stroke advantage with a perfect 9 on the front and then acing the first five holes on the back nine.

“I really wanted to shoot the 18,” Batten said of his final round. There have only been two perfect rounds in the forty six year history of the PPA. The last time a perfect round was shot was in 1979 by John Napoli in Columbus, Ohio.

“It would have been nice to be the third,” Batten said. “I felt like if I could make fifteen, then I would have a good shot at it. I hit hole fifteen right where I wanted it and thought it had a good chance, but it just caught the right lip and lipped out.”

With the chance for the perfect round gone, Batten had only his own world record left in his sights. Batten aced sixteen and seventeen, and for the second time in six weeks stepped to the tee at eighteen needing an ace to set a new three round standard. “I wanted to make a solid stroke on eighteen to give it a chance and I guess I hit it a little firm and as the ball came off the back rail towards the cup, I knew that I hit it through the break.” Batten’s ball, as it came off the back rail, eased by the left side and stopped four inches in front of the cup. With the tap in deuce, Batten is still the only player to ever to shoot 65, and now he has done it twice.

Tournament summary from Gary Hinshaw.