Darrell Anderson Sets
New 108 Hole PPA Scoring Record to Capture 2005 PPA Virginia State Championship

Playing in the penultimate group of the day, Dave Taylor briefly tied the then-existing 108-hole PPA scoring record of 142 prior to Anderson officially completing his final round. Dave Taylor finished alone in second place. After having seized a commanding three-stroke 54-hole lead at 65, James White posted a final 108-hole score of 143 to tie Rick Rybaczek for third position. Vince Batten shot 144 to finish in fifth place. In the process, Batten secured 2005 Virginia PPA Tour Player of the Year honors, which he won in a tightly-contested season-long battle with Brad Lebo. Lebo finished the Virginia State Championship in sixth place at 148. Rounding out the top ten were Freeman at 150, defending champion Matt Summey at 152, Gilbert Sharpe at 153, and 1996 National Champion Mike Brown at 154.

Action began with many players taking advantage of the calm morning conditions. White jumped to the early lead by posting a blazing first-round 21. Batten's 22 gave him sole possession of second place. Rybaczek and Lebo shared third position at 23. In a fifth place logjam, tied at 24, were Anderson, Dave Taylor, Sharpe, and Rusty Taylor.

White continued his stellar play by firing a second-round 22 to seize a two-shot lead at 43 after 36 holes. Batten hovered two strokes behind in second place at 45. In third position at 47 was Rybaczek. Rusty Taylor posted his second consecutive 24 to assume fourth place at 48. Anderson and Lebo shared fifth place at 49.

By firing a third-round 22, White tied the second-lowest 54-hole total in PPA history at 65 to take a three-stroke lead at the tournament's halfway mark. With a third-round 23, Batten remained in striking distance of the lead with a 54-hole total of 68. By virtue of a third-round 22, Anderson soared into third position at 71. Dave Taylor and Rybaczek shared fourth position at 73. Ten shots off of White's lead at 75 and tied for sixth place were Lebo, Summey, and Rusty Taylor.

After a short lunch break, the players were re-paired and teed off in inverted order according to their 54-hole scores. Shooting a fourth-round 26, White maintained the lead after 72 holes at 91. Anderson made a significant move up the leader board by crafting a brilliant fourth-round 22 and moved into a tie for second place with Batten at 93. Lurking only four strokes off the lead at 95 after a fourth-round 22 was Rybaczek. Dave Taylor and Lebo shared fifth position after four rounds at 98.

The tournament developed into a five-player race after completion of five rounds of play. Anderson continued his blistering afternoon pace by posting a fifth-round 23, pole-vaulting him into the 90-hole lead at 116. White and Batten hovered just a stroke off Anderson's lead, tied for second place at 117. Dave Taylor scorched the course in the fifth round, firing 21 and tying Rybaczek for fourth position at 119. Lebo stood alone in sixth place after five rounds at 124.

Anderson's momentum carried over into the final round of action. Stepping to the 18th tee at 13-under par for the final round, Anderson prudently lagged his ace effort short of the hole. Upon making his tap-in deuce, Anderson posted a 108-hole total of 139, captured the 2005 Virginia State Championship title, and broke the existing 108-hole PPA scoring record by three strokes. It was Anderson's second Virginia State Championship title, as he also won the event in 1984. Dave Taylor fired a final-round 23 to soar into second place, posting a 108-hole total of 142. Playing in the second-to-last group of the day, Dave Taylor technically tied the then-existing 108-hole PPA scoring record for several minutes before Anderson officially completed his final round. White and Rybaczek tied for third place at 143. Batten suffered a disappointing final-round 27 and dropped into fifth position at 144. Lebo finished alone in sixth place at 148. Rounding out the top ten finishers were Freeman in seventh place at 150, Summey in eighth place at 152, Sharpe in ninth place at 153, and Brown in tenth place at 154.

Several season-long honors were finalized in the professional division at the conclusion of the tournament. Batten wrapped up his third career Virginia PPA Tour Player of the Year Award, beating out Lebo in a close year-long dogfight by a total of 22 to 20 Player of the Year points. Batten evened the score from the 2004 season, in which Lebo narrowly edged out Batten for Virginia PPA Tour Player of the Year honors. Batten also notched his fourth career Virginia PPA Tour Low Stroke Average Award.

The members of the Virginia PPA Tour ten-player Clayton Cup team also were finalized at the conclusion of the day's play. The eight automatic qualifiers, determined by the final Virginia PPA Tour points, money, and relative stroke average rankings, were Batten, Lebo, Freeman, Summey, Rusty Taylor, Anderson, Manfred Stewart and Dave Taylor. Those eight players voted Mike Brown and Bill Baus onto the team as the ninth and tenth members. The ten team members then elected Batten and Lebo to return as co-captains for the squad. The team is seeking its third consecutive victory in Clayton Cup competition, which will be contested this season in High Point, NC on October 15-16.

In the amateur division, the players battled in the third consecutive tightly-contested tournament of the weekend. When the dust settled, the cream of the amateur field rose to the top portion of the final leader board. Former professional standout Chuck Dibbs posted steady rounds of 25, 27, 25, 29, 24, and 25 for a 108-hole total of 155 to earn a come-from-behind one-stroke victory over 2005 AmPutters.com Classic Champion Jeff Carr, who finished alone in second position at 156. Finishing tied for third at 157 were 2005 APA Virginia Open Champion Conway Coffey and Malcolm Shumaker. 2004 APA National Champion Ricky D. Schults and Dennis Biesma rounded out the amateur top five, sharing fifth place at 158.

Play commenced in the amateur division with Carr surging into the lead with an opening-round 24. Dibbs, Shumaker, and 2005 North Carolina APA Match Play Champion Frankie Peters were bunched in a tie for second place at 25. Tied for fifth position at 26 were Coffey, Biesma, and Brandon Whitton.

Carr continued his blistering pace in the second round of action, firing 23 for a 36-hole total of 47 and a two-stroke lead. Shumaker stood alone in second place with a 36-hole score of 49. Dibbs, Schults, and Peters hovered five strokes off the lead, tied for third position at 52.

Shumaker's third-round 25 allowed him to leapfrog into the lead midway into the tournament with a 54-hole total of 74. Carr's hot putter cooled a bit in the third round as he fired 28, dropping him a stroke behind Shumaker with a three-round total of 75. Mike Matthews posted the low round of the day in the amateur division, 22, moving him into third position at 76. Dibbs entered the second half of the event in fourth place at 77. Coffey stood another stroke behind in fifth position at 78. A four-way sixth-place logjam at 80 included Biesma, Whitton, Peters, and Wade Driskill.

Following a short lunch break, players in the amateur division were re-grouped according to 54-hole scores and teed off in inverted order. Carr surged back into the lead with a fourth-round 25 for a 72-hole total of 100. Shumaker shot a fourth-round 28 to fall into second place at 102. Coffey jumped into third position at 105. Dibbs stood alone in fourth place at 106. Barry Moore posted a sizzling fourth-round 24 to move into a tie for fifth place with Whitton at 107.

Several of the leaders struggled a bit in the fifth round of play and the leader board consequently tightened after 90 holes were completed. Despite a fifth-round 28, Carr remained atop the field with a 90-hole total of 128. Dibbs and Coffey fired respective rounds of 24 and 25 to move into a second-place tie at 130, just two strokes behind Carr. Shumaker dropped into fourth place at 131 after a fifth-round 29. Biesma shot a brilliant fifth-round 24 to move into contention at 132, tied for fifth place with Matthews.

Playing in the penultimate pairing, Dibbs posted a solid final-round 25 to establish the clubhouse lead at a 108-hole total of 155. Carr stepped to the final tee needing an ace to tie Dibbs and force a play-off. Carr's ace effort came up short of the hole, and he tapped in his deuce to settle for second place at 156, securing the 2005 APA Virginia State Championship title for Dibbs. It was Dibbs' fourth APA Virginia State Championship victory, as he also won the title in 1980, 1981, and 1982 before embarking on a successful run as a professional. Coffey and Shumaker tied for third position at 157. Schults fired a blazing final-round 23 to surge into a tie for fifth position with Biesma at 158. Schults and Biesma also earned the final expense reimbursement spots awarded in the amateur division in the event.

With the 2005 Virginia PPA Tour schedule concluding with the Virginia State Championship, Coffey locked up the 2005 Virginia Tour APA Player of the Year and APA Low Stroke Average Awards. Coffey's outstanding play throughout the season was highlighted by his victory in the amateur division of the 2005 Virginia Open, his first major amateur title.

The six-player Hancock Cup team also was finalized at the conclusion of the Virginia State Championship. The team members, who earned their spots based on their standing in a season-long points system, included Biesma, Coffey, Whitton, Shumaker, Moore, and Amy Smith. Biesma was elected as captain of the squad which will compete in this season's Hancock Cup competition in High Point, NC on October 15-16.

Prior to the commencement of play in the Virginia State Championship, players voted for a 2006 Virginia Tour Committee and for professional and amateur 2005 Sportsmanship Award winners. Gary Hinshaw remained as permanent Virginia PPA Tour Committee chairperson. Professionals Brad Lebo, Vince Batten, Matt Summey, Buddy Taylor, and Bill Baus and amateurs Barry Moore and Dennis Biesma were elected as 2006 Virginia PPA Tour Committee members. The tour membership voted Robert Ward, jr. and Randy Baldwin as well-deserved 2005 Sportsmanship Award recipients in the professional and amateur divisions, respectively.

The Virginia PPA Tour membership would like to extend thanks to host professional and course manager Gary Hinshaw, his wife Patsy, and their staff for welcoming the tour to the beautiful Richmond, VA facility and hosting a weekend of historic and very successful tournaments. Their hospitality and efforts in maintaining the course in ideal playing condition were appreciated greatly by the tour players. The Virginia State Championship concluded the 2005 Virginia PPA Tour schedule. The Virginia PPA Tour's ten-player professional Clayton Cup and six-player amateur Hancock Cup squads will represent the tour in the Clayton Cup and Hancock Cup team tournaments to be contested in High Point, NC on the weekend of October 15-16.