Danny Mac Is Back with One-Stroke Win Over Rick Baird In Virginia Putting Classic

23 May 2010 - Roanoke, VA - The Virginia PPA Tour held its second major championship of the 2010 season, the 72-hole Virginia Putting Classic, on course # 2 at the Roanoke, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. Overnight rain showers gave way to bright sunshine for the 10:00 a.m. tee time. As a result, the mercurial new backwards carpet fibers of the course were in a state of flux throughout the tournament, rising to full attention in the afternoon's baking sunshine by tournament's end. A wide range of field scoring resulted. Amidst the much more ideal scoring conditions of the VA Putting Classic in April 2009, the professional scoring average on the Roanoke layout was 25.82 strokes per round. This season, professional division scoring rose to an average of 28.07 strokes per round.

At 5:00 a.m. on the morning of the tournament, 1996 PPA Commissioner's Cup Champion Danny McCaslin made the impromptu decision to make the three-hour drive from his home near Cary, NC to enter the event. Less than ten hours later, the legend of Danny McCaslin grew to new heights. A prominent PPA professional in the 1990's, McCaslin spent most of the last decade focusing on his career on the rival USPMGA Tour, where during that period he captured three USPMGA Masters National Championships and a USPMGA U.S. Open title. McCaslin's attempted 2010 PPA comeback started sluggishly, with lackluster performances in White Lake, NC and Burlington, NC. McCaslin remained patient, however, and his arduous practice sessions of the past several months finally paid unexpected dividends. A pedestrian start to the tournament left McCaslin mired in a 17th-place tie at 28 after the opening round. After swaying his way to a remarkable 14 aces in the second round for a tournament-low round of 22, however, McCaslin pole-vaulted into a two-way tie for the lead at 50 with first-round leader Rick Baird. The winning instinct took over for McCaslin, as he produced a stellar Ben Crane-like third-round 24 to increase his lead to three strokes over Baird with a 54-hole total of 74. Undaunted, the recently white-hot Baird did his best to spoil the ending to the Cinderella story. Playing nine groups ahead of McCaslin, Baird orchestrated an inspired final-round run, acing the final five holes of the event to post a hard-fought fourth-round 24 and establish the clubhouse lead at a 72-hole score of 101. Cognizant of his situation, McCaslin began the last round strongly with an outward-nine score of 12. After aces on holes 10, 11, and 15, McCaslin needed just one more ace to secure victory. McCaslin left his tee shot on hole 16 a roll short of the cup, but rebounded with a sweet stroke on the 17th hole which found the bottom of the cup. Upon prudently laying up the final hole for a tap-in deuce, McCaslin celebrated his first PPA victory since winning the 1999 PPA Orange Lake Open. Despite a stellar bogey-free performance, Baird settled for runner-up honors at 101.

Two-time PPA Senior National Champion Bill Baus capped off a very solid weekend with a third-place finish at 104. Defending champion Tony Jackson played admirably in his attempted title defense, shooting 105 to complete the event in fourth position. At 107, PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman finished fifth. A gaggle of players in a sixth-place tie at 108 included 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo, 2009 Dogwood Open Champion Dennis Biesma, reigning PPA Eastern Open Champion Greg Newport, and 2008 GA State Champion Jeff Carr. 2006 GA State Champion Michael Hitt rounded out the top ten at 109. The final of the sixteen money spots awarded in the tournament fell at a 72-hole total of 113.

In the amateur division, reigning PPA Southern Open APA Champion Randal Smith rode the momentum of his victory in the previous afternoon's tournament to yet another triumph. Smith dominated his amateur foes with rounds of 26, 26, 25, and 28 for a 72-hole total of 105, giving him a seven-stroke margin of victory and his sixth amateur division win of the 2010 season. Two-time APA National Champion and Roanoke local standout Clayton Craft, Esq. posted 112 to win the battle for second place. At 114, 1983 VA APA State Champion Mike Matthews conjured up yet another strong performance in a major tournament, completing the event in third position. A quartet of players tying for fourth place at 117 and earning the final amateur division expense reimbursement spots distributed in the tournament included 1999 VA APA State Champion Malcolm Shumaker, 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie, Roanoke local player James LeBrun, and 2009 Dogwood Open APA Champion Bill Petrie.

 Thomas Rawles Fires 77 to Return to Winner's Circle in Roanoke, VA

22 May 2010 - The Virginia PPA Tour gathered to contest to the second of three weekend tournaments on course # 2 at the Roanoke, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. For about an hour prior to the tee off time of the event, very heavy rain showers completely saturated the course's new, thick backwards carpet fibers and dampened the rails used for the course's many bank shots. Quite surprisingly, field scoring actually significantly improved over that of the day's earlier tournament despite the adverse and rapidly-changing course conditions.

Tour veteran Thomas Rawles proved to be the most adept in the 28-player professional field at the afternoon guessing game, as he carded solid, steady rounds of 25, 26, and 26 for a 54-hole total of 77 to capture his first victory since September 2003, which fittingly also came on course # 2 in Roanoke, VA. Rejuvenated PPA Hall of Fame member Bill Kirby continued his recent strong play, posting a brilliant tournament-low second-round 22 and ultimately tying for second place at 78 with reigning PPA National Champion Tony Varnadore. At 79, second-round leader Robert Johnson completed the event in fourth position. A five-way, fifth-place tie at 80 included defending champion Bill Baus, PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman, 2007 PPA National Champion Rick Baird, July 2008 Richmond, VA Local Player of the Month Vince Batten, and naturally-gifted 1997 PPA National Champion Randy Reeves. The last of the fourteen money spots allocated in the tournament fell at a 54-hole score of 83.

In the amateur division, reigning PPA Southern Open APA Champion Randal Smith stormed back with fury from a disappointing morning tournament performance. After opening the event with a lackluster round of 30, Smith manufactured an inspired clubhouse charge, firing final rounds of 25 and 24 to catch second-round leader Joey Graybeal and force an 18-hole playoff after the duo completed the tournament deadlocked at a 54-hole total of 79. Despite having joined the PPA's amateur ranks only eight days earlier, Graybeal already may have found his Lex Luthor in the amateur field. Less than one week earlier, Smith had wrestled a late lead from the pure-stroking Graybeal en route to the PPA Southern Open APA title. In this week's showdown, Smith and Graybeal completed the 18-hole playoff all square after each shot 30. The two gladiators matched respective deuces and aces on the first and second holes of sudden death. On the dangerous and fickle third hole, Smith struck a perfect tee shot which resulted in a hole-in-one. When Graybeal's ace effort slid by the hole, Smith notched his fifth amateur victory of the 2010 season. Reigning VA APA State Champion Conway Coffey shared third place with 2008 Southern Putting Tour APA Champion Ben Blake at 83. At 84, 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie rounded out the amateur division's top five. The final of the six amateur division expense reimbursement spots awarded in the event came at a 54-hole total of 86.

Bill Baus Defeats Jeff Carr in Playoff For Victory in Roanoke, VA

22 May 2010 - Roanoke, VA - 22 May 2010 - Roanoke, VA - On an intermittently overcast and drizzly late Saturday morning, the Virginia PPA Tour held the first of three weekend tournaments on course # 2 at the Roanoke, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. The course's newly-laid backwards carpets and freshly-painted rails provided a great challenge for the field of 29 professionals and 21 amateurs, many of whom were using the weekend's events as preparation for the PPA Eastern Open to be contested on the course on the weekend of June 19-20, 2010. Aces certainly proved to be at a premium, as the professional field averaged 28.43 strokes per round in the event. By comparison, in the analogous tournament on the Virginia Tour schedule in April 2009, the professional field averaged 26.94 strokes per round.

Two-time PPA Senior National Champion Bill Baus opened the weekend with a sizzling tournament-low, first-round 24. Baus' subsequent rounds of 28 and 27 gave him a 54-hole total of 79, enough to force a playoff with 2008 GA State Champion Jeff Carr, who posted steady rounds of 26, 26, and 27. In a tightly-contested 18-hole playoff which was interrupted by sudden heavy rainfall, Carr opened up a two-stroke lead over Baus after 14 holes at 7-under par. Baus fought back valiantly, however, squaring the match with unanswered aces on the 15th and 16th holes. After the duo exchanged deuces on the 17th hole, Baus recorded a timely and rather fortuitous backdoor ace on the 18th hole. As Carr's ace effort failed to find the bottom of the cup, Baus earned his first victory of the 2010 PPA season by a final playoff score of 28-29. 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo marked his 300th consecutive Virginia PPA Tour start by finishing in a three-way tie for third place at 81 with Roanoke local standout Dennis Biesma and 1995 PPA National Champion Bill Kirby. The final of the fifteen money spots awarded in the tournament fell at a 54-hole score of 85.

In the amateur division, two Roanoke local players soared to the top of the final amateur division leaderboard. Two-time APA National Champion Clayton Craft, Esq. celebrated the 35th victory of his decorated amateur career on his home course, crafting rounds of 26, 29, and 26 for a 54-hole total of 81 and a two-stroke triumph. The win was Craft's first of the 2010 season. Roanoke local stalwart James LeBrun notched runner-up honors at 83. A two-way, third-place tie at 84 included Don Mathews and 2004 JPA National Champion John Petrie. Bunched in a four-way, fifth-place tie at 86, Geoffrey Boyer, Ping C-67-wielding Wade Driskill, 2009 Dogwood Open APA Champion Bill Petrie, and second-round leader Randy Baldwin rounded out the top five amateur division finishers and earned the final amateur division expense reimbursement spots allocated in the tournament.

Brad Lebo Wins His Third Career Dogwood Festival Open Title

2 May 2010 - Charlottesville, VA - 2 May 2010 - Charlottesville, VA - The Virginia PPA Tour held its first major championship of the 2010 season, the 72-hole Dogwood Festival Open, on course # 2 at the beautiful Charlottesville, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. With intermittently overcast skies and moderate morning temperatures, the course's enigmatic carpet fibers remained fairly tame throughout the tournament. The players took advantage of the relatively benign conditions, as general field scoring improved significantly from that posted in the previous day's event.

2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo, the only player in the field to record four sub-30 rounds, survived a spirited final-round clubhouse charge by reigning PPA Eastern Open Champion Greg Newport to notch his third career Dogwood Festival Open title. Lebo fired rounds of 27, 27, 29, and 26 for a bogey-free 72-hole total of 109 to earn his first victory of the 2010 season. Newport carded the tournament's low round of 25 in the final round but inevitably settled for runner-up honors at 110. At 112, third-round leader Robert Johnson finished third. 2007 PPA National Champion Rick Baird continued his stellar 2010 PPA campaign, completing the event in fourth position at 114. A two-way, fifth-place tie at 115 included Thomas Rawles and 1991 VA State Champion Ed Grajewski, who won the previous day's tournament. The cash line for the nine money spots allocated in the event fell at a 72-hole score of 120.

In the amateur division, 1999 VA APA State Champion Malcolm Shumaker used a brilliant penultimate-round 26, the low round of the day in the amateur division, as a springboard to a two-stroke victory. Shumaker manufactured rounds of 29, 32, 26, and 29 for a 72-hole total of 116. Third-round leader Mike Matthews struggled to a final-round 32 but held on to finish in second place at 118. At 119, two-time APA National Champion Clayton Craft, Esq. completed the event in third position. Amateur division heavyweight Randal Smith overcame a difficult start to the tournament to finish in fourth place at 120. James LeBrun and five-time VA APA State Champion Chuck Dibbs shared fifth position at 121 and split the final of the five amateur division expense reimbursement spots distributed in the tournament.

The Virginia PPA Tour wishes to thank long-time course owner Lloyd Wood and his staff for warmly welcoming the tour to the Charlottesville Putt-Putt Fun Center. The tour as well greatly appreciated the arduous efforts they made in preparing the course and facility for the weekend events. The Virginia Tour will resume its schedule with three tournaments on the weekend of May 22-23, 2010 on course # 2 at the Roanoke, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. Two 54-hole contests will be held on Saturday, May 22. The first of those events will tee off at 11:00 a.m., with the second tournament scheduled to commence at approximately 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 23, the second Virginia Tour major championship of the season, the 72-hole Virginia Putting Classic, will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Ed Grajewski Ends Victory Drought with Two-Stroke Win in Charlottesville, VA

1 May 2010 - Charlottesville, VA - Long-time course owner Lloyd Wood graciously welcomed the Virginia PPA Tour to the picturesque Charlottesville, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center to contest the first of two weekend tournaments. On a sun-drenched and unseasonably warm spring afternoon, the temperamental carpet fibers of Charlottesville's course # 2 rose to full attention, challenging and often baffling the field.

In the weeks leading up to the event, 1991 VA State Champion Ed Grajewski prepared extensively on the Charlottesville layout. His hard work paid dividends, as Grajewski earned his first tour victory since winning a Virginia Tour event in Richmond, VA in July 2001. Grajewski carded steady rounds of 28, 28, and 30 for a 54-hole total of 86. A trio of players sharing runner-up honors at 88 included 1992 VA State Champion Gary Hinshaw, 2009 Dogwood Festival Open Champion Dennis Biesma, and 2007 PPA National Champion Rick Baird, who held the first-round lead with a tournament-low opening-round 26. Bunched in a three-way, fifth-place tie at 89 were 2007 PPA Tournament Players Champion Vince Batten, PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman, and 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo. The cash line for the nine money spots awarded in the event fell at a 54-hole score of 92.

In keeping with the theme established in the professional division, the amateur division results also featured a player who ended a lengthy victory drought. Lynchburg, VA's Ping C-67-wielding Wade Driskill recorded rounds of 29, 27, and 31 for a 54-hole total of 87 and a dominating three-stroke triumph, his first since winning a Virginia tour amateur division event in Lynchburg, VA in 2002. 1999 VA APA State Champion Malcolm Shumaker finished in second place at 90. Completing the event in third position at 91 was 1983 VA APA State Champion Mike Matthews. First-round leader Randal Smith settled for fourth place at 92 and in the process notched the final of the four amateur division expense reimbursement spots allocated in the tournament. Reigning Dogwood Open APA Champion Bill Petrie rounded out the top five amateur division finishers at 94.

The Virginia Tour will return to action on Sunday, May 2, 2010 to contest its first major championship of the 2010 season, the 72-hole Dogwood Open, on course # 2 at the Charlottesville, VA Putt-Putt Fun Center. Play in that event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.

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