Page 5 - PPA Tour Magazine Spring 2022

3-peat

Cliff Matthews Clayton Craft

For many years the only professional player to attain more than one National
Vance Randall Championship title was Vance Randall. Randall set the bar, of which
would be matched by several players, but
never surpassed – until Alan Quinnelly turned Alan Quinnelly

professional.

In 2000, Alan Quinnelly became the only
professional to win three PPA National Championships. He

held the record for two decades, but in 2021, Cliff
Matthews won his third PPA National Championship title
and, coincidentally, Clayton Craft won his third APA

National Championship - tying him with three-time APA
National Champion, Don Ferrell.

Matthews won his first title in 2002 and his second in 2004 at Martinez, GA, of

which happens to be the venue for this year’s 2022 National
Championship. In 2021, Matthews entered the National
Championship tournament in Richmond, Virginia, with
expectations to be competitive, but maybe not as confident to

attain another major victory. However, once Matthews found
himself validly contending for the title, and remaining in
contention through the positioning rounds of rounds 5 and 6 – his

focus shifted to a championship level of concentration, and he
played as a champion. Matthews started the tournament with an
Cliff Matthews opening round of 21 and was tied for the lead with Patrick