Vince Batten Comes from
Six Strokes Down to Win the
2003 PPA North Carolina State Championship

October 11-12, 2003 - Burlington, NC - For the fourth time in the last five years, the winner of the North Carolina State Championship had to shoot the lowest second day score. In this edition, the honor belongs to Vince Batten as he fired a Sunday score of 101 to overcome a six-shot deficit and in a tie for seventh to win his second career PPA State Championship and his first in North Carolina.

A mixed bag of weather for the two-day event was the key in playing this past weekend in Burlington. Saturday's play was marred by clouds, mist, and sporadic drizzle, whereas for Sunday, it was bright, sunny skies and warmer temperatures.

Leading the way in the early going was the 2001 North Carolina State Champion Andy Coradini, sharing the lead with Batten as both an opening round 25 to lead by one shot. Both would begin to slide partially and by the end of the second round, there was a new leader. Darrell Anderson shot a 24, and Mike Brown, who won the 2001 Elton Davis Memorial on this course, fired a second round 25 to grab the lead at 51, and were up by one shot on Darrell Britt, by two shots on local favorite Greg Newport, who was going for his first North Carolina State title, and by three shots on Andy Coradini, Jeff Spainhour, and Bill Kirby, a four-time champion of the event, most recent in 1998.

As the third round was completed, the potential favorite in Newport continued to blossom. Newport fired a 24 to go in with a score of 77 and caught Brown, who fired a 26. Anderson was a stroke back at 78. The fourth round belonged to Newport as he shot 25 to finish out with a score of 102, good enough to lead by one over Brown. Anderson finished the first day three back at 105.

In the APA Division, Russell Sigmon, Jr. was coming in as the defending champion and had very little success this season. All that broke through as he jumped out to an early three-shot lead with an opening round 23. Sigmon continued to dominate toward the end of the first day as he closed out with a pair of 27's to go in at the halfway point with a score of 77 and was comfortably leading by five strokes over Keith Waters, and by eight on nine-time winner this season Ricky D. Schults.

That evening, a banquet was held at Apollo's, located next to the course on Church Street. An awards presentation where the past winners of this seasons were recognized and received plaques took place. Special awards were given out to Andy Coradini, Player of the Year, Ricky D. Schults, APA Player of the Year, Rick Baird and Andy Coradini, Team of the Year, Ray Guthrie, Match Play Champion, Robert Johnson and Randy Reeves, Team Champions, and Billy Caudle was the recipient of the Bill Walsh Sportsmanship Award. Voting for the 2004 Committee was also announced as the same five members of the past two seasons, Greg Newport, Rick Rybaczek, Rick Baird, Chris Bunting, and Billy Caudle were elected.

Sunday's play brought in much brighter weather and very warm conditions. This was where Batten took command as he trailed by six shots to Newport going into play. Batten fired a 23, along with Coradini to grab the lead at 131. Michael Hitt also shot 23 to join the two and Spainhour followed with a 25 to make it a four-way share of the lead. The two in front heading into Sunday's action could not get out of the 30's in that round. Newport shot 31 to drop to sixth and Brown fired a 32 to fall even further.

Batten took control from this point. Going for his first PPA State title since the 2000 Virginia State Championship, Batten fired rounds of 25 and 23 in the sixth and seventh rounds to take a commanding five-shot lead over Newport, who rebounded with rounds of 26 and 25.

Meanwhile, Sigmon continued to cruise with the lead he was protecting. After posting rounds of 28 and 27, Sigmon was still hanging on to a comfortable four-shot lead on a charging Schults, who played consistently with rounds of 26 and 25. Schults continued to claw back, but had to do it on the back nine in the sixth and final round. Sigmon started to fall backwards with three to play. Sigmon bogeyed 16 to lose two strokes, and then lost another stroke on 17 after Schults made it. Sigmon was hanging on to a one-shot lead going into 18, where Schults was first up. Schults failed to make it, leaving Sigmon with two putts to successfully defend his title.

Sigmon lagged his tee shot and left it about three feet short of the hole. Sigmon would tap in his deuce putt and hold on to a one-shot win. Sigmon becomes the first player to win the APA Championship in consecutive seasons since Jimmy Comer did so during the 1996 and 1997 events. The final score reached 160 for Sigmon as he won his third consecutive state title (2003 Match Play included). Schults finished a shot back at 161, and third went to Waters at 165.

This would bring it to the final round for the Pro Division. Batten was nursing a five-shot lead and, like Sigmon, had difficulty trying to hang on. Batten suffered the last round with a final round of 30 and had a shot to clinch the win on 18, but his tee shot was missed. Newport was the only player that had an opportunity to force a playoff, the first of such since 1999. Newport needed to ace the last four, but it was already over when his tee shot on 15 stopped just right of the hole. Newport would only manage to come within two shots of Batten, as well as Coradini.

Batten fired a second day score of 101, the best second day score of the tournament, and finished the 2003 State Championship as the winner with a score of 209. Coradini and Newport finished tied for second at 211, with Coradini winning a three-hole playoff for the second place plaque. Anderson finished in fourth at 212, and Spainhour wound up fifth at 213. Defending champion Ray Guthrie got off to a slow start to the weekend and wound up in a tie for 24th at 228.

One perfect nine was recorded in the State Championship. Opie Roberts fired a perfect back nine to close out the event for his first career perfect nine.

After the tournament, the ten members of the North Carolina Clayton Cup Team was announced. The defending champions from North Carolina will be bringing back seven players from last year's squad, including the return of the two co-captains Greg Newport and Opie Roberts. Also qualifying for the team from last year are Rick Rybaczek, Ray Guthrie, Billy Caudle, Randal Smith, and Bob Haizlip, who was the 10th man pick on the team. Tommy Barbour returns for the first time since the 2001 event, and Bear Landin and Lance Perdue round out the team as first-timers.

The Hancock Cup also was announced as three of the six members are back from last year. Russell Sigmon, Jr. will lead the way with Keith Waters and Walter Kolb as returnees. Chuck Nance is back on after missing out last season, and Larry Hoover and Frankie Peters also made the team representing for the first time ever. These players will be taking on three other tours in Fredericksburg in two weeks.

Special thanks goes out to Brian Patterson for hosting the 2003 North Carolina State Championship. It was the first time the State was held there since 1992.

Tournament scores courtesy of Rick Baird and tournament recap by Opie Roberts.