Jay Klapper Closes with Rounds of 20 and 21 to Capture 2007 PPA Eastern Open Title

10 June 2007 - Abingdon, MD - On a calm and overcast morning, a field of 37 professional and 22 amateur players gathered to contest the second PPA National Tour event of the 2007 season, the PPA Eastern Open, on course # 1 at the picturesque Abingdon, MD Putt-Putt Fun Center facility. Many in the field took advantage of the ideal playing conditions, as general field scoring was much lower than that recorded in the previous day's tournament. For 2005 PPA National Champion Jay Klapper, the day might be described best by the opening lines of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities - "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Fortunately for Klapper, the "best of times" occurred last. After posting a seemingly-disastrous triple bogey on the 12th hole of the opening round, Klapper stood at a mere two-under par for the event. But Klapper regrouped to craft an epic recovery, acing 48 of his final 60 holes to post rounds of 28, 25, 20, and 21 for a 72-hole total of 94, enough for a two-stroke victory. Third-round leader Ricky Schults notched runner-up honors at 96. Reigning PPA ProPutters.com Classic Champion Rick Culverhouse and 2004 Indiana State Champion Nate Nichols shared third place at 98. With virtually no pre-tournament preparation, two-time Great Lakes Tour Champion Paul Johns fired an astounding 99 to tie PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman for fifth place.

Action opened with a six-way logjam developing at the top of the first-round leader board. Opening-round 24's were carded by Schults, Nichols, 2004 PPA National Player of the Year John Bambling, five-time Texas State Champion Jeff Smith, 2006 GA State Champion Michael Hitt, and 2000 PPA National Match Play Champion Kevin Lacey. Another four players shot 25. Despite acing his final six holes of the round, Klapper was mired in a tie for 26th place after the first round at 28.

With a brilliant second-round 23, Schults broke from the pack and took a three-stroke lead over the rest of the field after two rounds at 47. A six-way tie for second place at 50 included Bambling, 2000 Dogwood Open Champion Rusty Taylor, 2005 PPA National Doubles Champion Rick Rybaczek, 1994 SC State Champion Rick Baird, Hitt, and Culverhouse, who carded a blazing second-round 22 to move back into contention.

Despite posting a solid third-round 25 for a 54-hole total of 72, Schults saw his lead narrow to one stroke after three rounds. With a course-record and tournament-low third-round 20, Klapper leapfrogged into a second-place tie with Bambling at 73. Culverhouse stood alone in fourth position at 74. Lurking in a fifth-place tie at 75 were Nichols, Johns, Rusty Taylor, and Smith. The stage was set for a final-round shootout.

Klapper continued his torrid pace in the final round, firing a sizzling fourth-round 21 for a 72-hole total of 94 to secure a two-stroke victory over Schults, who finished the event alone in second place at 96. Culverhouse and Nichols tied for third position at 98. Rounding out the event's top five finishers at 99 were Freeman and Johns. The cash line for the 15 money spots awarded in the tournament fell at 104.

Eight qualification spots into the PPA National Tour's season-ending Tournament Players Championship were offered to the top eight finishers in the 2007 PPA Eastern Open who did not already have a qualifying spot. Accepting those berths were Klapper, Schults, Nichols, Freeman, Johns, Bambling, 2004 PPA World Match Play Champion Darrell Anderson, and Rusty Taylor, who defeated Rybaczek and 2003 Kentucky State Match Play Champion Jerry Pinotti in a playoff to earn the final qualification spot offered in the event.

The Dickens theme carried over into the amateur division of competition. Unfortunately for 2006 PPA Women's National Champion Vanette Block, "the worst of times" occurred after "the best of times." Block opened the tournament with a brilliant round of 21 to take an early five-stroke lead. Block increased her lead to six strokes after 36 holes, posting 47 at the event's halfway mark. Unfortunately, the well of aces then went dry for Block. 2007 PPA Southern Open Champion Dennis Biesma took advantage of Block's misfortunes, making an inspired charge in the final two rounds to catch and overtake Block's lead. Biesma recorded rounds of 29, 24, 24, and 26 for a 72-hole total of 103 and a two-stroke victory. The win was Biesma's eleventh of the 2007 season and gave him his second consecutive National Tour APA victory. 1983 VA APA State Champion Mike Matthews carded a final-round 23 to capture runner-up honors at 105. Despite a fourth-round 31, Block held on valiantly to finish in third position at 106. 1999 VA APA State Champion Malcolm Shumaker and 2003 APA National Champion Bonnie White rounded out the tournament's top five amateur finishers, sharing fourth place at 108.

Play commenced in the amateur division with Block carding a blistering opening-round 21 to seize a five-stroke initial-round lead. Matthews, White, and Pittsburgh's Gerald Vick were in a distant second-place tie at 26. Two-time VA Open APA Champion Amy Smith and rookie amateur Calvin Owens shared fifth position at 27.

Block continued her stellar play in the event's second round, firing 26 and increasing her lead to six strokes with a 36-hole total of 47. Biesma rebounded strongly from a disappointing opening-round 29 to post a second-round 24 and soar into a second-place tie with Shumaker at 53. At 54, White stood in fourth position. Matthews dropped into fifth place at 55.

Block's blazing pace cooled off in the third round of action, as she fired 28. Meanwhile, Biesma carded his second-consecutive 24 to move to within two strokes of Block's lead. With Block at 75 and Biesma at 77 after 54 holes of play, the tournament had developed into a two-player final-round duel. Shumaker and Smith shared third place at 81. Grouped in a fifth-place tie at 82 were Matthews, White, and 1998 APA National Champion Jeff Brown.

The tide of the tournament turned dramatically on the outward nine holes of the fourth round. Block aced only the third and fourth holes to record a front-nine 16, while Biesma shot an opening-nine 11, giving Biesma a three-stroke lead with the inward nine holes remaining. Block fought courageously, making a brilliant deuce putt from a stymied position at the back rail of the 13th hole to keep her slim victory hopes alive. However, Block's window of opportunity all but closed for good when her ace effort at the 14th hole inexplicably lipped out of the hole. Biesma's final-round 26 gave him a 72-hole total of 103, enough for a two-stroke victory. The win was Biesma's eleventh of the 2007 season and his second consecutive National Tour APA victory. Matthews crafted a timely fourth-round 23 to overtake Block for runner-up honors. Block settled for third place at 106. At 108, Shumaker and White rounded out the tournament's top five amateur finishers. The cash line for the seven amateur expense reimbursement spots awarded in the tournament fell at a score of 110.

As in the professional division, eight amateur division qualification spots into the PPA National Tour's season-ending Tournament Players Championship were offered to the top eight finishers in the 2007 PPA Eastern Open who did not already have a qualifying spot. Accepting those spots were White, Brown, the dapperly-attired James Walker, 2006 Dogwood Open APA Champion Conway Coffey, 2005 APA National Champion Walt Kizzie, Bill Combs, Barb Mingo, and Randy Baldwin.

The PPA National Tour membership would like to extend thanks to course owner Jay Mottley and his staff for welcoming the tour to the beautiful Abingdon, MD Putt-Putt Fun Center facility and hosting a weekend of very successful tour events. The tour players were greatly appreciative of the diligent efforts made to maintain the course in outstanding playing condition. The PPA National Tour returns to action with the events of the 2007 PPA National Championship week in Webster, TX on July 19-21. The final events of the 2007 PPA National Tour will be played in Columbus, IN with the PPA Northern Open opening the weekend of play on Saturday, August 25th. The PPA Tournament Players Championship will be played on Sunday, August 26th, with a field of 44 PPA National Pros and 44 APA members who have qualified through the prior 2007 PPA national tournaments.

Scores and Article provided by Rick Rybaczek and Brad Lebo.