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May 23, 1979
Columbus, Ohio
Georgesville Rd,
Course 1

John Napoli – 1999 National Putting Champion

John Napoli – May 3, 1979

John Napoli turned pro in 1974 and was quickly learning about the intensity of PPA tournaments.
During his time at Ohio State University, and playing in weekly tournaments, the weekly events were
equivalent to most national level competitions. Napoli would compete against Rick Shelton (national
tournament winner), Jim Borchelt (Hall of Fame member), Rod Miller (national tournament
champion), Ray Miller (National Champion), Ray Browning (Hall of Fame member), and Ron
Frederick (Hall of Fame member). These players had yet to reach the pinnacle of their skills, but they
were all very good… and competitive. Napoli was discovering how to keep ahead of the competition.
On May 23, 1979, at the age of 22, he was paired with Don
Ferrell and Carl Schrenkeisen (grandfather to Anthony
Amick). The evening was a bit on the cool side from a steady
rain earlier in the day. The carpets were wet, but not soaked.
Course 1, from previous years, had the reputation of being the
easiest of the four courses at the Georgesville Rd venue due to
the carpet having tracks from the tee mat to the cup. Get the
ball in the track, and there was a good chance the results