Tony Varnadore Validates The Year Of the "V" By Winning The 50th Professional Putters Association National Championship
Tony Varnadore19 September 2009 - Orlando, FL - The Professional Putters Association staged its 50th annual National Championship tournament in the beautiful tropical setting of the Magnolia and Fountain courses of the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club's Putt-Putt Golf facility in Orlando, FL. A field of 64 of the top professional putters from around the country and globe vied for the most coveted title in the sport in a three-day, 216-hole medal play format. PPA Tour veteran Tony Varnadore, a 45-year-old postal worker from Rock Hill, SC, shocked the putting world with a dominating victory. Entering the final round with a tenuous three-stroke lead over PPA Hall of Fame legend Daryl Freeman, Varnadore orchestrated one of the great closing-round performances in PPA National Championship history, acing 14 of his first 15 holes en route to a brilliant final-round 22. Varnadore's 216-hole total of 292, 140-under-par, gave him an emphatic eight-stroke victory and the first individual PPA National Tour title of his career. "I am deeply humbled and honored to be the 2009 PPA National Champion," noted the clearly moved Varnadore. "It was an amazing experience in Orlando. I will never forget that last day and those four rounds."
Greg NewportFirst-day action began in the professional division with Freeman soaring to the top of the tightly-bunched opening-round leaderboard with a first-round 22. Freeman continued his stellar play with a second-round 21 on the fickle Fountain course to open up a four-stroke 36-hole lead at 43 over the formidable trio of Varnadore, reigning PPA Eastern Open Champion Greg Newport, and defending champion Kevin Lacey. Varnadore pole-vaulted into the front of the pack after 54 holes at 68 with a third-round 21, taking a two-stroke advantage over Newport and Freeman. With a serviceable fourth-round 26, Varnadore completed the day with a 72-hole total of 94, two strokes clear of Freeman and Lacey.
The tide seemingly turned for the worse for Varnadore on the second day of play, as he posted sloth-like rounds of 28, 28, 26, and 27. 2005 PPA National Champion Jay Klapper took full advantage of the opportunity, using a spectacular fifth-round 22 to steal the 90-hole lead from Varnadore at 120. Newport matched Klapper's fifth-round 22 to maneuver into second place at 121, one stroke ahead of Varnadore and Freeman. Firing 25 in the sixth round, Klapper maintained his one-shot lead over Freeman at the tournament's halfway mark with a 108-hole total of 145. With a seventh-round 24, Klapper established the 126-hole lead at 169 and stretched his leading margin to five, six, and seven strokes over Freeman, Lacey, and Varnadore, respectively. Klapper's torrid pace cooled a bit in the eighth round, as he carded 29 for a two-day, 144-hole total of 198. Freeman again crept within a stroke of Klapper's lead with an eighth-round 25. Charging into the clubhouse with an eighth-round 22, 2007 PPA Northern Open Champion Rick Culverhouse completed the second day in third position at 200. Varnadore quietly lurked in fourth position at 203.
Daryl FreemanVarnadore made his presence felt in the first round of the final day of action. A spectacular opening-round 21 portended a career-defining final day performance by Varnadore. By virtue of a solid ninth-round 24, however, Klapper still held the lead after 162 holes at 222, two shots ahead of Varnadore and Freeman. Varnadore continued on his march to glory with a tenth-round 22, wrestling the lead away from Klapper for good and grabbing a two-stroke advantage over Freeman and Klapper at 246. By posting a steady penultimate-round 24, Varnadore enjoyed a three-shot lead over Freeman at 273 with one round remaining. Klapper remained in contention, in third position at 274. Hovering in a tie for fourth place at 275 were Newport and Culverhouse, who crafted a timely eleventh-round 21 to keep his flickering title hopes alive.
Jay KlapperBy acing 14 of his first 15 holes on the oft-enigmatic Fountain course, Varnadore removed any drama from the event's outcome. Observed eventual tournament runner-up Newport, "Going into the last round I wanted to get off to a good start on the Fountain course. I finally did get the start I wanted by acing the first four holes, feeling like I had a chance to make up some of the five-shot deficit. But then I watched Varnadore ace the first seven (holes) in the last round and at that point I knew that I was playing for second. I knew that I was witnessing something special." Something special, indeed. At 14-under-par and with victory well in hand, Varnadore attempted to ace the dangerous 17th in an effort to tie the single-round course record of 20 set earlier in the week by Tim Greenert and tied in the final round of the PPA National Championship by Frank Warren. After his ace effort narrowly missed, Varnadore prudently laid up for a tap-in bogey. Fittingly, Varnadore polished off his triumph in style, acing the final hole for a twelfth-round score of 22, an unfathomable final-day 72-hole total of 89, a 216-hole final score of 292, and an eight-stroke win. Despite carding a hard-fought final-round 25, Newport settled for runner-up honors at 300.
Article provided by Brad Lebo
After playing admirably throughout the event, Freeman earned a third-place finish at 301. Klapper completed the tournament in fourth position at 304. At 306, Culverhouse finished fifth. A sixth-place tie at 307 included a duo of former PPA National Champions, Rick Baird and Greg Ward. Recently-crowned PPA National Doubles Champion Jerry Pinotti and prodigal Texan Wade Sahmel shared eighth position at 308. 1997 PPA National Champion Randy Reeves rounded out the event's top ten finishers at 309. Defending champion Lacey tied for eleventh place at 310. The cash line for the 32 money spots awarded in the professional division of the tournament fell at a score of 325.
In addition to the crystalline PPA National Champion trophy and the $1,750.00 first prize, Varnadore also received recognition with television coverage of his triumph on a segment of Golf Central aired on Golf Channel on the evening of his historic victory.
The 2009 PPA National Tour schedule concluded with the completion of the PPA National Championship tournament. The PPA National Tour membership extends thanks and expresses its gratitude to the management and staff of the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club for hosting a very successful and memorable week of tournaments. The tour greatly appreciated the diligent efforts made by the resort prior to and during the tournament week to maintain the courses in ideal playing condition and looks forward to returning to the resort for tour events in future seasons.
Leaders of 2009 PPA National Championship by Round
1st Round Leader Daryl Freeman 22 (14 under par) 2nd Round Leader Daryl Freeman 43 (29 under par) 3rd Round Leader Tony Varnadore 68 (40 under par) 4th Round Leader Tony Varnadore 94 (50 under par) 5th Round Leader Jay Klapper 120 (60 under par) 6th Round Leader Jay Klapper 145 (71 under par) 7th Round Leader Jay Klapper 169 (83 under par) 8th Round Leader Jay Klapper 198 (90 under par) 9th Round Leader Jay Klapper 222 (102 under par) 10th Round Leader Tony Varnadore 246 (114 under par) 11th Round Leader Tony Varnadore 270 (126 under par) Scoreboard from the 2009 PPA National Championship
(Course Order: Day 1 = M-F-M-F, Day 2 = F-M-F-M, Day 3 = M-F-M-F)
(Orlando, FL - 17-19 September 2009)
Round Points Prize Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total Par Earned Money 1 Tony Varnadore 25 22 21 26 28 28 26 27 21 22 24 22 292 -140 150.00 1750.00 2 Greg Newport 24 23 23 29 22 27 29 29 21 23 25 25 300 -132 145.00 1400.00 3 Daryl Freeman 22 21 27 26 26 24 28 25 25 24 25 28 301 -131 140.00 1200.00 4 Jay Klapper 25 25 24 24 22 25 24 29 24 26 26 30 304 -128 135.00 1000.00 5 Rick Culverhouse 28 27 26 23 25 24 25 22 26 28 21 31 306 -126 130.00 850.00 6 Rick Baird 29 28 21 28 25 26 25 25 26 23 26 25 307 -125 122.50 675.00 Greg Ward 27 26 26 25 23 27 30 24 26 28 21 24 307 -125 122.50 675.00 8 Wade Sahmel 25 23 29 25 26 25 28 25 23 26 26 27 308 -124 112.50 575.00 Jerry Pinotti 27 27 25 27 25 27 25 25 24 25 26 25 308 -124 112.50 575.00 10 Randy Reeves 25 24 24 30 27 26 27 25 24 26 23 28 309 -123 105.00 500.00 11 Kevin Lacey 24 23 25 24 29 25 25 29 26 25 28 27 310 -122 98.00 450.00 Mike Baldoza 25 27 25 30 22 26 29 25 26 24 24 27 310 -122 98.00 450.00 Frank Warren 28 27 24 29 28 25 25 26 25 26 27 20 310 -122 98.00 450.00 14 Michael Hitt 26 27 24 27 26 25 28 25 28 25 25 26 312 -120 94.00 400.00 15 Bill Kirby 27 26 24 25 30 26 25 25 27 26 26 28 315 -117 90.00 350.00 Andy Coradini 26 24 28 25 30 24 27 26 23 30 26 26 315 -117 90.00 350.00 Jeff Carr 28 25 26 24 29 27 23 29 28 24 26 26 315 -117 90.00 350.00 18 Nate Nichols 28 28 28 24 31 28 24 24 27 28 24 24 318 -114 86.00 300.00 19 Tony Jackson 25 26 26 30 28 27 27 22 28 26 29 25 319 -113 83.00 285.00 Robert Johnson 29 29 28 28 27 26 27 24 32 23 21 25 319 -113 83.00 285.00 21 Cliff Matthews 29 26 26 26 27 25 25 24 26 26 28 32 320 -112 79.00 272.50 Joel Baker 26 27 26 30 27 30 25 26 28 25 24 26 320 -112 79.00 272.50 23 Brad Lebo 25 29 26 28 25 28 27 26 31 28 24 25 322 -110 74.00 260.00 Jeffrey Smith 30 29 25 28 25 25 26 26 26 30 23 29 322 -110 74.00 260.00 Rick Rybaczek 24 28 30 28 26 22 28 30 25 28 28 25 322 -110 74.00 260.00 26 Jeff Spainhour 29 26 23 26 26 28 29 28 28 25 27 28 323 -109 68.00 255.00 Jim Cruse 30 29 26 25 27 27 28 25 29 26 25 26 323 -109 68.00 255.00 Kelly Mize 26 29 26 33 23 29 25 27 30 26 25 24 323 -109 68.00 255.00 29 Gary Watson 26 27 27 24 27 28 27 26 31 30 24 27 324 -108 64.00 250.00 30 Bob Haizlip 25 26 27 30 26 28 25 27 30 28 23 30 325 -107 60.00 250.00 Randy Orr 27 28 24 31 23 28 28 28 26 30 23 29 325 -107 60.00 250.00 Matt McCaslin 28 32 27 29 29 24 26 24 26 24 29 27 325 -107 60.00 250.00 33 Gary English 30 33 24 26 28 24 34 27 23 25 26 26 326 -106 56.00 34 Tim Greenert 29 24 29 27 25 24 31 29 27 25 27 30 327 -105 50.60 Dennis Biesma 24 25 26 30 29 29 32 25 27 28 24 28 327 -105 50.60 Tim Jones 23 28 29 30 29 25 33 24 24 28 26 28 327 -105 50.60 Ricky Schults 25 32 29 27 25 30 27 26 27 27 23 29 327 -105 50.60 Olivia Prokopova 30 28 26 29 25 28 31 25 25 28 24 28 327 -105 50.60 39 Lee Messinger 28 29 27 26 26 28 30 29 25 26 25 29 328 -104 47.00 40 Charlie Greenwalt 28 28 24 32 25 28 27 25 28 26 28 30 329 -103 45.50 John Bambling 25 33 28 28 24 29 29 25 28 24 27 29 329 -103 45.50 42 Robin Ventura 28 25 24 27 26 32 30 25 30 29 29 26 331 -101 43.50 Byron Kirby 28 28 30 29 29 25 28 30 28 26 27 23 331 -101 43.50 44 Thomas Rawles 28 28 23 23 34 27 28 27 30 26 28 32 334 -98 41.50 James White 25 26 30 32 26 28 29 27 27 25 31 28 334 -98 41.50 46 John Ventura 28 25 31 26 25 28 28 28 25 30 31 31 336 -96 39.50 Ken Hastings 28 25 27 27 32 28 32 30 25 27 27 28 336 -96 39.50 48 James Walker 27 26 29 31 30 24 28 25 30 30 26 31 337 -95 37.00 Manfred Stewart 25 31 27 30 26 25 30 26 26 28 31 32 337 -95 37.00 Stan Seethoff 30 29 28 30 26 28 29 28 26 29 25 29 337 -95 37.00 51 Mark Hasty 27 28 30 27 28 26 31 27 27 30 30 28 339 -93 34.50 Paul Johns 33 28 27 32 27 29 31 25 25 26 28 28 339 -93 34.50 53 Lewis Burton 31 30 26 28 29 31 26 31 25 25 30 29 341 -91 33.00 54 Tom Robertson 28 27 30 30 29 28 31 25 31 26 28 29 342 -90 31.50 Dom Perry 29 31 26 35 25 28 27 29 28 28 31 25 342 -90 31.50 56 James Weber 28 28 29 32 32 28 29 27 29 29 24 29 344 -88 30.00 57 David McCollister 32 28 26 32 31 27 33 24 27 25 28 32 345 -87 29.00 58 Ed Grajewski 26 30 26 27 30 32 29 31 29 29 27 30 346 -86 27.50 Gary Hinshaw 26 31 31 28 27 30 31 32 27 28 28 27 346 -86 27.50 60 James Taylor 29 35 27 27 30 34 30 29 26 35 22 25 349 -83 26.00 61 Mark Ross 28 30 32 28 27 30 34 30 28 32 26 28 353 -79 25.00 62 Greg Simpson 31 28 32 32 30 33 27 28 30 30 28 26 355 -77 24.00 63 Joel Woodall 32 28 32 29 34 30 33 34 28 30 34 26 370 -62 23.00 64 Paul Sample 25 29 26 28 Medical Withdrawal -36 22.00
