Bryce Ledford made a 15-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole Tuesday and successfully defended his championship of the Don Malarkey Open Championship.

Playing at the Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club, the 19-year-old Ledford edged 47-year-old Randy Helton, the head professional at the Stones River Country Club in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The victory kept Ledford's successful spring and summer hot streak alive. He qualified for the Chattanooga Classic, then recently won the Red Bud Invitational.

"Now, I get my (Malarkey) trophy back,'' said Ledford, who will be a sophomore at UTC in the fall. "This feels good.''

Ledford and Helton each shot 2-under-par 69s both days of the tournament. Helton won the low pro check for $1,500.

Amateur Ricky Honeycutt, who will be a senior this fall at Tennessee, finished two shots back, along with former UTC player James Vandergriff, a pro from Holston Hills in Knoxville. Honeycutt shot a 2-under Tuesday, while Vandergriff had the low round of the tournament at 4-under 67.

Professionals Loren Personett from Nashville and Greg Wyatt from Crossville finished three strokes back.

On the first playoff hole, the par 5 first, Ledford was long with his second shot and Helton was in the left-side bunker. Ledford muffed his shot, then chipped 5-feet past the hole. Helton just got his bunker shot on the green, then two-putted for par. Ledford made his par putt to keep the playoff alive.

"We both should have ended it at No. 1,'' Helton said. "I actually thought par might win the hole.''

On the par 4 second hole, Helton was short to the right. Ledford drove the ball to the crown at the front of the green and it bounced 25-feet past the pin. Ledford missed his eagle putt, and the playoff continued when Helton made a 5-foot birdie putt.

Ledford then hit a punched pitching wedge 15 feet from the pin of the par 3 third. Helton missed a 25-footer to set the stage for Ledford's heroics.

After getting out a victory cigar, Ledford's father—Archie Ledford—was asked the key to his son's winning streak.

"Genetics,'' Ledford said. "Really, genetics.''

The elder Ledford then got serious. "Really, the success comes from what Bryce learned at the Chattanooga Classic,'' Archie said. "He found out you can't over-power a course like Black Creek, that you have to dial it back. And his swing teacher in Roswell, Danny Elkins, has stopped his hook and given him more control.''

Said Bryce, "I've just been trying to put the ball in the fairway off the tee. If you do that, it helps you execute better. I used to be too aggressive. Now, I try not to over-power the golf course.''

Helton, who has won low-pro honors in three tournaments this year, chipped in for a birdie on No. 16 to force the playoff. Both players had pars on Nos. 17 and 18.

"These young guys can be kind of intimidating,'' Helton said. "I'm 30 years older than them. They have a lot of game. I'm just happy to still be competitive.

"These kids are so fearless. They never back off and they seem to hit every putt in the back of the hole.''

Ledford said the key to his victory may have come at the par 5 No. 13 when his 6-iron scooted off the back of the green and within 2-feet of being out-of-bounds.

"I don't know if it hit the green and slowed down, or if it hit the marker,'' Ledford said. "I know that was a good break there.

"I play somewhat conservative golf on the back. I got to 3-under early for the day, but all my birdies were two-putts. Really, the only putts I made all day were on No. 1 and No. 3 in the playoff.''

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HONEYCUTT MAKES STRONG FINISH: Ricky Honeycutt missed the playoff by only two strokes, and made a double-bogey on No. 15.

"I played some of my best golf ever from 8 through 13,'' Honeycutt said. "I birdied five-of-six holes. Then I got to No. 15 and thought it would take 6- or 7-under to get in a playoff. I guess I sort of choked. I tried to chip in my third shot and got in trouble.

"Still, I hit two balls out of bounds and still finished 2-under for the tournament. Tomorrow will be another day.''

SPITALNY CONTINUES ROLL: Neil Spitalny took the overall seniors championship with rounds of 68 and 74. He also won the seniors title in the Chattanooga Open and was runner-up in the Red Bud Invitational seniors division.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)