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2010 PPA National Regional Dates 24 January 2010 - The Professional Putters Association proudly announces its 2010 PPA National Tour schedule. The tournament itinerary includes four regional PPA National Opens as well as the events of the PPA National Championship week. More information regarding these events will be posted in the coming weeks. PPA TV Shows from 1960-80 Coming to DVD 6 January 2010 - As you may be aware, the PPA TV show from 1981 through 1994 were converted to DVD and are now available for those who like to have these shows. The cost of converting these shows from their broadcast video tapes into a format ready for DVD was paid for through 54 contributions of $100 each in exchange for copies of these TV shows on DVD. The work to convert the PPA TV shows from 1960 to 1980 has now begun and I am again soliciting people to contribute to the conversion of these shows onto DVD in exchange for copies of the shows on DVD. 51st Annual PPA National Championship 6 December 2009 Dear Fellow Members,
"It's been 6 years since the last TV show production in Richmond, VA", recalls Joe Aboid, PPA Commissioner. "With the support of all Putt-Putt Course Owners, we are producing a Championship highlight show that will feature the final two rounds of the tournament and the crowning of the PPA National Champion. We are very pleased that APA member and our local Lynchburg ABC Sports Director, Dennis Carter will again be the lead commentator." Tony Varnadore Validates The Year Of the "V" By Winning The 50th Professional Putters Association National Championship
19 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."
First-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.
Varnadore 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.
By 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. Larry Smith Caps Off Stellar 2009 Amateur Campaign By Capturing 2009 APA National Championship
18 September 2009 - Orlando, FL - After recording four top-six finishes in the past four APA National Championship tournaments, including a 2006 playoff loss to Caleb Kennedy, two-time APA Senior National Champion Larry Smith finally emerged victorious with a hard-fought, come-from-behind triumph in the two-day, eight-round event, contested at the picturesque Orange Lake Resort and Country Club's Putt-Putt Golf facility in Orlando, FL. Smith fired rounds of 26, 28, 32, 27, 25, 26, 27, and 27 for a 144-hole total of 218, enough to defeat 2007 NC APA State Champion Chris Alley by two strokes. In 2009, Smith also notched amateur division titles in the PPA Eastern Open and PPA Senior National Championship and well as a runner-up finish in the PPA Tournament Players Championship and a third-place finish in the PPA ProPutters.com Classic. Despite his impressive and lengthy career resume, Smith remained humble in victory. "I feel quite fortunate to have won such a great event," said the 52-year-old facilities manager from Birmingham, AL. "There were many great players in the APA field, and I have been truly blessed to have won the greatest prize that an APA player can win."
Play commenced in the amateur division with 2007 APA National Doubles Champion Adam Sahmel posting a brilliant first-round 24 to seize a one-shot opening-round lead over 2009 Reunion Tournament APA Champion Conway Coffey. With a second-round 28, Sahmel remained atop the amateur leaderboard after 36 holes, tied at 52 with reigning Southern Putting Tour APA Champion Ben Blake, who turned in a second-round 25. Sahmel and Blake matched third-round 29's and continued to share the lead after 54 holes at 81. Coffey hovered just two strokes behind the leaders, in third position at 83. With Sahmel struggling in the day's final round, Blake grabbed sole possession of the lead at the tournament's midpoint with a 72-hole total of 108. Alley and 2003 APA National Champion Bonnie White made the biggest moves of the fourth round, shooting 25 and 24, respectively. Alley completed the day at 109, just one stroke off of Blake's lead, with White alone in third position at 110. Smith maneuvered into contention, alone in fourth place at 113.
The second day of action featured numerous lead changes in the amateur division. With Blake suffering a fifth-round 33, Alley leaped to the top of the amateur scoreboard with a 90-hole total of 136. Smith carded a fifth-round 25 to move into second place at 138. White stood in third position at 139, with Blake dropping into fourth at 141. Alley and Smith matched sixth-round 26's to move further ahead of the rest of the amateur division. Alley established the 108-hole lead at 162, with Smith remaining in second position at 164. At 167, White held third place, with Sahmel jumping back into fourth position at 172 with a sixth-round 27. After seven rounds, the tournament developed into a three-player race. Smith crafted a seventh-round 27 to leapfrog into the 126-hole lead at 191. Alley endured two seventh-round double bogeys en route to a round of 31 and dropped into second place at 193. White entered the final round in third place at 196. | |||||||||||||
April 17-18, 2010 - 2010 PPA Western Open (Killeen, TX) May 15-16, 2010 - 2010 PPA Southern Open (Burlington, NC) June 19-20, 2010 - 2010 PPA Eastern Open (Roanoke, VA) July 17-18, 2010 - 2010 PPA Northern Open (Warren, OH) September 13-18, 2010 - 2010 PPA Week of the Nationals Click here for Complete details on the 2010 PPA National Tournament Program Click here for National Tour Statistics through the 2010 PPA Western Open | |||||||||||||
PPA Regional, State, and Local Tournaments | |||||||||||||
February 7 (Moved from Jan 31) - High Point, NC - Local Winter Series - Course # 1 - 1:30 p.m. February 14 - High Point, NC - Local Winter Series - Course # 2 - 1:30 p.m. February 20 - Longview, TX - Local East Texas Winter Tour - Course # 1 - 11:00 a.m. February 27 - Webster, TX - Western Putting Tour - Course # 3 - Noon February 28 - High Point, NC - Local Winter Series Championship - Courses # 1 & 2 - 1:30 p.m. March 13 - Martinez, GA - Southern Putting Tour - Red Course - 11 a.m. March 20 - Burlington, NC - Southern Putting Tour - Course # 1 - Noon March 27 - Lynchburg, VA - Virginia Putting Tour - Course # 2 - 11 a.m. April 24 - White Lake, NC - Southern Putting Tour - Course # 1 - 10 a.m. Important Notice for PPA State Tour Schedules
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Allen Wall Captures 2009 Southern Putting Tour Championship4 October 2009 - Burlington, NC - The Southern Putting Tour gathered on course # 1 of the historic and immaculately-maintained Burlington, NC Putt-Putt Fun Center and held its final tournament of the season, the two-day, 144-hole 2009 Southern Putting Tour Championship. Sunny, pleasant, but windy weekend weather conditions produced a closely-contested battle amidst modest field scoring in which eight players finished within four strokes of the winning eight-round total. In the end, 1998 Bob Jackson Sportsmanship Award recipient Allen Wall defied and reversed the old adage that "nice guys finish last," as he fired rounds of 24, 26, 28, 31, 27, 22, 21, and 28 for a 144-hole total of 207 and a hard-fought, come-from-behind two-stroke victory, his first of the 2009 season.
On the second day of play, Newport opened with a fifth-round 25 to establish the 90-hole lead at 127. Ward and Johnson trailed Newport by one stroke, with Klapper just another stroke behind at 129. Newport continued his stellar play in the sixth round, carding 24 to extend his lead to five strokes at 151. Ward and Johnson hovered in a second-place tie at 156. At 157, Varnadore held fourth position. The tide of the tournament reversed during the event's seventh round. While Newport struggled mightily to shoot a seventh-round 31, Wall followed a sixth-round 22 with a spectacular tournament-low seventh-round 21 to seize the 126-hole lead at 179. Remarkably, Wall was mired in a three-way tie for thirteenth place after five rounds and stood nine strokes off of the fifth-round lead. At the end of the seventh round, however, Wall had climbed into a three-stroke lead over Newport and Johnson, who were tied for second place at 182. By virtue of a seventh-round 24, 2008 GA State Champion Jeff Carr jumped into contention, in fourth place at 183. Wall began the final round of the tournament strongly, firing 11 on the outward nine holes to all but ensure victory. Wall sputtered a bit on the final nine holes, registering an untimely bogey on the 15th hole. However, with none of the serious contenders making a major move, Wall coasted to a two-stroke win with an eighth-round 28 for a 144-hole total of 207. Varnadore shot a solid last-round 24 to leap into a share of runner-up honors with Carr at 209. 2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo posted a final-round 22 to pole-vault into a three-way, fourth-place tie at 210 with Ward and Newport.
Kevin Lacey and Tom Russell Capture IPT Medal Play Titles27 September 2009 - Louisville, KY - Just a week after losing his title defense of the PPA National Championship, Kevin Lacey added another prestigious title to his putting resume. Lacey came from behind to win the Indiana Putting Tour Medal Play Championship, the final event of the IPT season. On a cool, mostly cloudy day with damp carpets from overnight rain, Lacey shot a 69-under par 147 on Course 3 in Louisville to beat Alabaman Randy Reeves by three shots.
When play resumed after a lunch break, there was little movement in the standings in Rounds 4 or 5. In Round 4, seven of the 10 competitors shot either 24 or 25. In Round 5, eight of the players shot one score or the other. Going into the final round, Reeves had a four-stroke lead over Lacey, who was paired with him in the final group. Ventura was five out. In the final round, Reeves had to contend with some bee stings he suffered between rounds as well as the bite of a hot start by Lacey. Despite a bogey on Hole 9, Lacey was 8-under through 12 holes to catch Reeves, who was 4-under. Lacey took the lead on 13 and Reeves tied it back on the next hole. After both players aced the nearly automatic 15th hole, Lacey made 16 to take the lead and then followed with an ace on 17. When Reeves missed 17, Lacey had a two-shot lead, and he aced 18 to clinch it with a final-round 23. Ventura finished third with 151, and Greenwalt fourth at 153. James Weber grabbed the last cash spot with a fifth-place 157. In the amateur division, Louisville's Tom Russell shot a 159 to claim his first career state championship. He edged Kyle Poole by two shots. Brandon Davis and Karen Raizor tied for third place. Russell led by three shots at the halfway point over Davis, who had won eight solo titles on the IPT this season. Davis struggled with a 32 out of the lunch break and Russell pulled away with a 26. But Poole stayed right on Russell's heels with an outstanding 78 in the second half. The Indiana Tour thanks Louisville course owner and competitor Tim Greenert and his staff for hosting the tour championships. The tour thanks Management & Training Corporation of Edinburgh, Ind. and Tim Schrader of Putters Lane Fun Center in Minster, Ohio for adding sponsorship money to tournaments throughout the year. And the tour thanks the players for a successful 2009 season. click here for the complete article and scores Scott Buddie and Don Niznik Win Great Lakes Tour Championship27 September 2009 - Willoughby, OH - Putting experience and local course knowledge proved to be a key to victory, as Scott Buddie captured the Pro Division of the Great Lakes Tour Championship, and Don Niznik, the APA Division of the finals, held on the Village Course of the Willoughby Putt-Putt in Willoughby, Ohio.
2006 PPA National Champion Brad Lebo shot an opening round 27 to establish a two stroke advantage over Don Cherry, Harry Sykes, Ken Hastings, and Bill Baus. Of note was Scott Buddie’s opening round 33, which placed him dead last after the first round. Lebo’s second round 29 gave him a three stroke lead over Hastings, and Buddie, who’s 26 was the only score under 29 for the round. When Buddie shot another 26 in the third round, he shared the third round lead with Lebo at 85, five strokes ahead of a group at 90 which included Cherry, Craig Williams, John Bambling, and Jim Engel. Scores improved for the field in the fourth round, except for the leaders. Buddie struggled to post a six under par 30 for a four round first day total of 115, but gained a one stroke advantage over Lebo, who could only shoot 31. Williams fired a 26 to tie Lebo for second at 116. Bambling shot 27 for a 117, and Engel and Cherry fired 28’s to share fifth at 118. Scoring for the day was difficult, as no one in the pro division could break 26 on day one. Day two again found temperatures in the upper 50’s with damp carpets, but the cloudy conditions would change to sunny skies in the closing rounds. Scott Buddie came out on fire, shooting a brilliant 13 under par 23 to build a five stroke lead over Brad Lebo, who posted a 27. Meanwhile, Harry Sykes shot a 25 to move into a third place tie with Craig Williams at 146, eight strokes behind Buddie. Buddie found the 23 hard to follow up, as his sixth round 30 left him at 168. Lebo posted a 29 to cut one stroke off the lead, and Jim Engel shot a solid 26 to move into third at 173. Buddie saw his lead shrink even more in the seventh round, as his 31 allowed Engel move within one stroke by shooting 27. John Bambling charged to a 26 to position himself just two back, while Lebo slipped to fourth place, three behind. In a final round, Scott Buddie called on his thirty years of putting experience, and his home course knowledge of the Willoughby course. He posted a solid 28 under the intense pressure, which was good for an eight round total of 227, and earned a two stroke victory over Jim Engel, who fired a 29. Third place was shared among four players, as Brad Lebo, Craig Williams, John Bambling, and Harry Sykes all shot 231. Sykes final round of 26 was the low score of the round. The victory earned Buddie his first tour championship, and capped off a solid season, as he had previously scored tour victories at Warren, Ohio, and a month earlier on the same Willoughby course. In the APA Division, Barb Mingo, twice winner of the Ray Browning Memorial tournament on her home course, opened with a 28, and established a two stroke lead over John Kropinak, Gerald Vick, Don Mathews, and Bill Combs. Her second round 31 maintained the lead by one stroke over Mathews, who posted his second consecutive 30 to move into solo second. In the third round, John Tuite fired a brilliant 24, the low APA score of the finals, to move into a tie for second with Mathews, who shot his third straight 30. Still they trailed Mingo by one stroke, after her 30 left her at 89. The fourth round saw a dramatic change in the leaderboard. Both Mingo and Mathews struggled to even par rounds of 36, and fell back in the pack. John Kropinak took advantage, shooting a solid 26 to establish the first day lead at 119. Tuite followed his 24 with a 30, and maintained second place at 120. Meanwhile Don Niznik shot 28 to quietly move into contention in third at 121, one stroke ahead of Vick, and Jeff Brown. In Sunday’s opening round, Don Niznik, just as pro winner Scott Buddie had done, made his move. He fired a solid 25 to move into a three way tie with first day leader Kropinak, who shot 27, and John Tuite, who posted 26. Niznik and Kropinak each shot 28 in the sixth round to remain tied at 174, and move three strokes ahead of Tuite, who struggled to a 31. Round seven saw Kropinak surge back into the lead by shooting 28 to establish a two stroke lead over Niznik entering the final round. The only other player in contention was Jeff Brown, who had shot 26 and 28 in the sixth and seven rounds to move within four strokes of the lead. The leaders found the pressure of the final round difficult to deal with. Kropinak encountered problems with the difficult tenth hole, and struggled to a final round 34. Brown saw his aces dry up, and could only post 32. Meanwhile, Niznik shot his worst round of the day, a 31, but found his eight round score of 235 good enough for a one stroke victory over Kropinak. Brown finished third at 238. Matt Male was the only player to break 30 in the final round, and his 29 placed him fourth at 243, one ahead of John Tuite, in fifth place. Like pro winner Scott Buddie, Don Niznik took advantage of playing on his home course. The victory capped an amazing weekend for Niznik. Though he had been competing in tournaments for almost forty years, it marked the first state tour victory of any type for him. It also was his first victory at the Willoughby course. Rick Rybaczek Wins VA State Championship in Martinsville, VA to Earn Share of VA Tour Player of the Year Honors30 August 2009 - Martinsville, VA - The Virginia PPA Tour gathered to contest its final tournament of the 2009 season, the 108-hole Virginia State Championship, on course # 2 at the picturesque Laurel Park Mini Golf complex in Martinsville, VA. Heavy intermittent weekend rains gave way to baking heat and sunshine on the day of this event, leading to continually-changing, enigmatic course conditions throughout the tournament. As a result, general field scoring was much higher than had been anticipated.
Professional division action began with Smith soaring into a two-stroke opening-round lead at 22 over Freeman and 2006 GA State Champion Michael Hitt. With a second-round 26, Smith maintained his advantage with a 36-hole score of 48, two strokes clear of Freeman, Hitt, and Thomas Rawles. Firing a second consecutive 26 in the third round, Smith reached the event's halfway mark in the lead at 74, two strokes ahead of Ricky Schults and Rybaczek, who climbed up the leaderboard with a third-round 24. After a brief lunch intermission, contestants were re-paired by 54-hole standing. Smith continued his strong play, carding a fourth-round 24 for a 72-hole total of 98 and a three-shot lead over Rybaczek and Freeman. In the fifth round, Smith shot a disappointing 31, relinquishing tournament leadership for the first time in the day. Despite a pedestrian fifth-round 27, Rybaczek posted a 90-hole score of 128 and pole-vaulted into a one-stroke lead over Smith, Freeman, and 2009 VA Putting Classic Champion Tony Jackson. 2007 PPA National Champion Rick Baird recorded a fifth-round 24 to remain in contention, in fifth position at 130. The final round developed into an inward-nine battle between Rybaczek and Freeman. Freeman missed only the seventh hole en route to an outward nine score of 10, which gave him a share of the lead with Rybaczek, who shot a front-nine 11. Rybaczek aced the tenth hole to regain a one-shot advantage over Freeman. Freeman answered with an ace on the 11th hole to once again square the match. The duo matched aces on the 12th and 13th holes, but with a hole-in-one on 14, Freeman again grabbed a one-stroke lead. Freeman's well of aces went dry at that point, however. Rybaczek seized the opportunity, acing the 16th and 17th holes to step to the 18th tee with a one-stroke lead. Playing in the final group and with Freeman already in the clubhouse, Rybaczek prudently laid up the uphill 18th hole for a tap-in deuce to secure a hard-fought, one-stroke victory, his second of the weekend and third of the 2009 PPA season, with a 108-hole score of 152. Freeman settled for runner-up honors at 153. At 156, Baird finished third in the VA State Championship for the second straight year. Hitt completed the event in fourth position at 157. A three-way, fifth-place tie at 158 included Smith, Jackson, and 1985 PPA Television Series contestant Jeff Spainhour.
Jeffrey Smith Wins His Sixth Western Putting Tour Championship Title in Waco, Texas
James Kile Returns To The Western Putting Tour And Wins His Second APA Title2 August 2009 - Waco, TX - 22 players started the day in Waco with a shot at winning the title from defending champion John Berger. James Kile won his 2nd WPT Tour APA Championship and his first since 1991 by defeated fellow DFW player Patrick Simpson in the finals. Kile's Path to this title started with wins over Brydon Jacobson in the round of 32 and local favorite Ken Stanfill in the round of 16. Then he bested Steve Willmann and Mike Huckaby in route to his finals match with Simpson. Kile's victory was his 3rd of the year as he made a late season surge. Mickey DeLucca won the 2009 APA honors as Player of the Year with his best year in some time. DeLucca also added the APA 2009 Stroke Average Award to his honors along with the Texas Open and Western Open Championships. Delucca is one of a few players that has a shot at winning the National APA Player of the Year. click here for the complete article and scores | |||||||||||||
The membership fees for the 2010 season remain the same as they were for the 2009 season. The membership fee for the PPA Pro division remains at $75 and the fee for APA membership remains at $25. Membership will make a player eligible for national, state and local tournament competitions. Applications will be mailed to all current members of the PPA and APA on or around February 1st, 2010. A downloadable version of the 2010 PPA Application is also available for download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
PPA Pro Membership ($75) Amateur Putters Association Membership ($25) Please send your completed application to the following address: Please do not send your application with a return signature receipt required as this will significantly delay the delivery of your application. New PPA Pro Members (through January 31st, 2010):
New APA Members (through January 31st, 2010):
Click here for a complete list of 2010 PPA and APA Members
The 2009 PPA Rule Book (available for download) is unchanged from 2008. For any questions please contact Joe Aboid or a member of the Player advisory board (names are listed in this years book) for explanation. Proper Playing Attire Section G of Rule 3 on Page 6 has been amended to the following: G) General Appearance - Under no circumstances will the display of any alcohol, tobacco or related items or names be worn or displayed by any PPA member during practice or tournament events. Players are to dress in a professional manner. Playing attire including shirts, trousers, rain gear, head coverings or any other apparel that promote, advertise or have any mention of other tours or competitive businesses to Putt-Putt or the PPA will not be permitted. Official PPA Golf Ball for 2010 The PPA golf ball rule will remain unchanged for the 2010 season. For the 2010 PPA tournament season, any golf ball that appears on the USGA conforming golf ball list published on January 6th, 2010 or on a subsequent listing during 2010 (list is updated on the first Wednesday of each month) will be legal for PPA practice and tournament play. The 2004 PPA golf balls (Top Flite Strata Tour Soft) will continue to be legal for tournament play in 2010. PPA golf balls from 2003 and prior years are not legal for the 2010 PPA tournament season. In addition, only white golf balls will be allowed and the only logo (besides the manufacturer's) that may appear on the golf ball is the PPA mark on the 2004 PPA golf balls.
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1 February 2010
Click here for a complete list of updates since July 8th, 2006 | |||||||||||||
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