Randy Reeves Wins 2009 Southern Putting Tour Match Play Championship
22 March 2009 - Martinsville, VA - Under sunny skies on a pleasant spring morning, the Southern Putting Tour contested its first major championship of the 2009 season, the Southern Putting Tour Match Play Championship, on course # 2 at the Laurel Park Mini Golf facility in Martinsville, VA. The event consisted of a double-elimination match play format in which the players in each division were seeded according to their 108-hole aggregate score from the previous day's two 54-hole medal play tournaments. 36-hole matches were played in the winner's bracket, while 18-hole matches were played in the loser's bracket.
Randy Reeves1997 PPA National Champion Randy Reeves continued his strong weekend play with a dominating performance. Entering the tournament as the second seed in the professional division, Reeves won five consecutive matches to capture his first victory of the young 2009 season. Reeves defeated three-time USPMGA U.S. Open Champion Matt McCaslin, 2007 Elton Davis Memorial Champion Tony Jackson, 2006 GA State Champion Michael Hitt, and hometown favorite Randal Smith twice en route to the title. Smith played with inspired brilliance throughout the event, but ran into a buzz saw in the tournament's final match, losing 10 & 9 to Reeves and settling for runner-up honors. After suffering an opening-round trouncing by Jackson, 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo rebounded to win five consecutive matches and claw his way into a third-place finish. Reigning GA State Champion Jeff Carr completed the event in fourth position. Hitt and 2005 PPA National Champion Jay Klapper tied for fifth place.
Chuck NanceIn the amateur division, 1998 North Carolina APA Match Play Champion Chuck Nance's unflappable tenacity earned him his first title of the 2009 season. Nance defeated James LeBrun and Art Koerber before losing to reigning PPA ProPutters.com Classic APA Champion Larry Smith. Then in consecutive loser's bracket matches, Nance miraculously overcame a three-hole deficit with three holes to play against both reigning Southern Putting Tour APA Champion Ben Blake and 2006 PPA Women's National Champion Vanette Block to win both matches in sudden death. Subsequently, Nance defeated Johnny Brown and then Smith twice in two very close matches to capture the championship. Smith completed the event in second place, with Brown finishing in third position. Block notched a fourth-place finish. A fifth-place tie included Blake and 2007 Southern Putting Tour APA Match Play Champion Frankie Peters.
The Southern Putting Tour extends it thanks to Laurel Park Mini Golf course owners Kevin and Hope Thompson and their staff for graciously hosting a weekend of very successful tour events. The tour membership greatly appreciated the warm welcome extended to the tour by the Thompsons. The weekend's outstanding tournament scoring served as testimony to the extensive efforts made by the owners to maintain the course in immaculate playing condition. The Southern Putting Tour returns to action on the weekend of April 25-26, 2009 at the Putt-Putt facility in White Lake, NC. Two 54-hole tournaments will be held on Saturday, April 25. The first of those two events will commence at 11:00 a.m., with the second event being scheduled to tee off at approximately 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, April 26, the Southern Putting Tour will contest its second major championship of the 2009 season, the 72-hole Carolinas' Open, beginning at 10:00 a.m.Article provided by Brad Lebo
Professional Division of the 2009 Southern Putting Tour Match Play Championship
(Martinsville, VA - Course # 2 - 22 March 2009)Winner's Bracket
Russell Sigmon Steve Toomey Toomey Steve Toomey Michael Cardwell Carr Rick Rybaczek Carr Jeff Carr Smith Caleb Kennedy Schults Ricky Schults Smith Jay Klapper Smith Randal Smith Randy Reeves Stan Seethoff Reeves Reeves Matt McCaslin Matt McCaslin Reeves Brad Lebo Jackson Tony Jackson Reeves Randy Reeves Michael Hitt $200 Hitt Rick Baird Hitt Frank Warren Biesma Smith Dennis Biesma $120 Loser's Bracket
Smith Hitt $60 Schults McCaslin McCaslin Lebo Lebo Smith Cardwell Lebo Lebo Lebo Lebo Bye Toomey Baird Baird Toomey Lebo Bye $50 $100 Warren Warren Warren Carr Bye Biesma Sigmon Sigmon Biesma Carr Seethoff $50 $80 Sigmon Rybaczek Rybaczek Klapper Bye $60 Jackson Kennedy Kennedy Klapper Bye Klapper Klapper Klapper Bye
Amateur Division of the 2009 Southern Putting Tour Match Play Championship
(Martinsville, VA - Course # 2 - 22 March 2009)Winner's Bracket
Vanette Block Geoff Boyer Block Lynn Self Lynn Self Blockie Chris Alley Alley Clayton Craft Brown Todd Trent Mark Smith M Smith Mark Smith Troy Sarver Brown Johnny Brown Brown Roy Sigmon Ben Blake Donald Ralph Koerber L Smith Art Koerber $45 Art Koerber Nance Chuck Nance Nance James LeBrun L Smith Nance Larry Smith $50 David Gregor L Smith Ray Guthrie Ray Guthrie L Smith David Myers Peters Nance Frankie Peters Loser's Bracket
Brown $40 Nance M Smith Blake $10 Blake Blake Nance Nance Boyer Blake LeBrun LeBrun Blake Bye $30 Alley Guthrie Guthrie Alley Nance Sarver $15 Guthrie Myers $10 Myers Block Bye Peters Self Self Peters Block Ralph $35 Craft Craft $10 Craft Peters Bye $30 Koerber Trent Trent Koerber Gregor $15 Trent Sigmon $10 Sigmon Bye `
