Masters of Putt-Putt battle on Midlothian

Putt-Putt isn’t just for entertaining the family when the weather looks sketchy while on the beach trip. There’s a group that take it very seriously. The Professional Putters Association (PPA) hold competitions all across the country to figure who can nail the angles the best. This weekend they’ll be at the VA Putt-Putt Center on Midlothian. Up for grabs will be $10,000 in prize money ($1,200 for the winner) in the Eastern Open.

The immaculate Richmond, Virginia Putt-Putt Fun Center is set to host The Professional Putters Association $10,000.00 Eastern Open on Saturday July 29th and Sunday July 30th. The site of many previous national events, the Richmond course last hosted the 2012 Eastern Open and the 2008 National Championship. Kevin Lacey of Cincinnati, Ohio, the reigning PPA national champion, looks to defend his Eastern Open Championship. The Eastern Open was last played in 2015. Kevin, a two-time national champion, won his first national championship in 2008 in Richmond.

This year’s Eastern Open will mark the first time since 2008 that a national tournament teed up on course # 3. Since then two professional players, Rick Baird of Charlotte, NC and Greg Newport of Hebron, KY, became the third and fourth professionals in the 58 year history of the PPA to shoot a perfect round of 18. Both accomplished the feat during Virginia PPA events on course #3. Rick was first in April of 2011 and Greg in July of 2016. Both players look to add the Eastern Open title to their resume and are considered among the players to watch. Other favorites include Kevin Lacey, Jeff Spainhour of Chesapeake, VA, the 2017 National Match Play champion, 2-time putter of the decade Greg Ward of Loganville, GA, and a host of others.

A perfect round of 18 holes-in-one is so rare that only four players have accomplished this feat. The video below is an amazing look at one of those perfect games that took place at this course.

The Perfect 18 from The All-Nighter Room on Vimeo.