Chip Lutz, 58, of Reading, Pa., carded a second consecutive 3-under-par 69 on Monday to earn stroke-play medalist honors by seven strokes at the weather-delayed 2013 USGA Senior Amateur Championship being conducted at the 6,842-yard, par-72 Wade Hampton Golf Club.
Lutz, owner of two British Senior Open Amateur and two Canadian Senior Amateur titles, posted a 36-hole total of 6-under 138, four strokes off the Senior Amateur scoring record set by Billy Clagett in 2005. Lutz, who carded a 69 in rainy conditions on Saturday, had to complete his second round on Monday morning because Saturday’s weather forced a suspensionof play. Lutz was on his second nine when darkness halted play on Sunday.
The cut for match play came at 12-over-par 156, with 13 golfers, including 2002 champion Greg Reynolds and 1979 Walker Cup Team member Mike Peck, playing off for the final six spots in the 64-man draw. The first round of match play began at 12:45 p.m. EDT on Monday.
Match play continues Tuesday and Wednesday, with the 18-hole championship match scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday.
The USGA Senior Amateur is the only major senior title missing from Lutz’s résumé. He won his British and Canadian titles in 2011 and 2012 and narrowly missed a three-peat in both this year. Lutz advanced to the semifinals of the USGA Senior Amateur in 2010 and 2011. He will be the top seed for match play.
"It is a tremendous honor," said Lutz. "I have never been a medalist at a USGA event. I am pleased to have that distinction in this particular event. It is a great honor."
Lutz had considerably better weather on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning than he did in his opening round. He registered four birdies against just one bogey in a consistent effort.
"You never know when you come out and shoot a good score if you can go out with the same momentum," said Lutz. "Fortunately I did. I got off to a reasonably good start yesterday. I made some good birdies and kept it going. It was a little more of a struggle yesterday and today when you have the mixed tee times and the round is interrupted by [darkness]. I am amazed that I could stay focused and continue my good play. I hope I can carry on into match play with the same kind of game I have been playing."
Jack Hall, 56, of Sea Island, Ga., who qualified for this year’s U.S. Senior Open, carded a 1-over 73 for a 36-hole total of 145 to earn the second seed.
Defending champion Paul Simson, 62, of Raleigh, N.C., matched his 1-over 73 from Round 1 and is in a group of four golfers at 2-over 146. That group includes David Szewczul, of Farmington, Conn., and Daniel Arvanitis, of Manchester, N.H., both of whom completed stroke play on Sunday. Rick Cloninger, of Fort Mill, S.C., also posted 146 (73-73).
"The purpose of the first two days is to qualify for match play," said Simson, who also won this championship in 2010 and is vying to join Lewis Oehmig as the only three-time champions of the Senior Amateur. "I kind of messed up this last hole, but I am in good shape going in and we will see who we draw and go from there."
While the first round yielded just one sub-par round (Lutz’s 69), six golfers bettered par in Round 2, led by a championship-best, 5-under 67 from Brady Exber, 57, of Las Vegas. The course scoring average dipped two strokes in Round 2 from 80.0 to 78.0.
"I’m absolutely thrilled," said Exber. "I don’t care who you are, when you go to a USGA event … if you can shoot under 70, you’ve got to be happy. And I’m just thrilled."
On Monday afternoon, everyone in the draw starts fresh.
"Unfortunately, it all starts over and that 67 means nothing [in match play]," added Exber. "But that 67 means something to me. It’s going to be one for my record book. It’s my lowest round in a USGA event."
Past champion Vinny Giles, 70, of Richmond, Va., was the oldest player to make the cut. Giles won the 1972 U.S. Amateur and 2009 Senior Amateur.
Among the notables to miss the cut were past champions Mike Rice (2005), of Houston, Mike Bell (2006), of Indianapolis, and brothers Louis Lee (2011) and Stan Lee (2007), of Heber Springs, Ark. Also missing the cut was David Jacobsen, of Portland, Ore., the brother of 2004 U.S. Senior Open champion Peter Jacobsen, 2012 Senior Amateur semifinalist Jim Knoll, of Sunnyvale, Calif., and 1969 U.S. Amateur champion and former TV golf announcer Steve Melnyk, of Jacksonville, Fla.
David Shefter is a senior staff writer with the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.
CASHIERS, N.C. – Final results from stroke-play qualifying at the 2013 USGA Senior Amateur being conducted at the 6,842-yard, par-72 Wade Hampton Golf Club (x-Involved in 13-for-6 playoff for final match-play spots).
Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa. - 69-69--138
Jack Hall, Sea Island, Ga. - 72-73--145
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C. - 73-73--146
Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, S.C. - 73-73--146
Daniel Arvanitis, Manchester, N.H. - 75-71--146
David Szewczul, Farmington, Conn. - 73-73--146
Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn. - 72-75--147
Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev. - 80-67--147
Randal Lewis, Alma, Mich. - 79-69--148
Peach Reynolds, Austin, Texas - 76-72--148
Michael Hughett, Owasso, Okla. - 74-75--149
Douglas Hanzel, Savannah, Ga. - 74-75--149
Bill Leonard, Dallas, Ga. - 78-71--149
Craig Calkins, Manhattan Beach, Calif. - 76-74--150
Ken Palladino, Dunedin, Fla. - 77-73--150
Robert Valerio, Hawthorne, Calif. - 77-73--150
Hill Adams, Katy, Texas - 74-76--150
Patrick Tallent, Vienna, Va. - 74-76--150
David Nelson, Reno, Nev. - 75-75--150
Mike Booker, The Woodlands, Texas - 76-75--151
Mike Poe, Athens, Tenn. - 76-75--151
Tom Norton, Muscatine, Iowa - 78-73--151
Edward Steiber, Cincinnati, Ohio - 79-72--151
Bev Hargraves, Helena, Ark. - 76-75--151
George Marucci Jr., Villanova, Pa. - 77-75--152
Patrick Duncan, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. - 75-77--152
Neil Spitalny, Chattanooga, Tenn. - 78-74--152
Mickey Jones, Odessa, Texas - 76-76--152
David Holmes, Sutton, Mass. - 79-73--152
Pat O'Donnell, Happy Valley, Ore. - 72-80--152
Larry Daniels, Seattle, Wash. - 80-72--152
James Lehman, Minnetonka, Minn. - 75-77--152
Paul Schlachter, Pittsburgh, Pa. - 72-80--152
Robert Parmar, Fairhope, Ala. - 80-73--153
Mike Raymond, Jackson, Mich. - 79-74--153
Don Erickson III, Dubois, Pa. - 76-77--153
Peter Wegmann, Sea Ranch Lakes, Fla. - 78-75--153
Jim Rollefson, Franklin, Wis. - 78-75--153
Casey Boyns, Monterey, Calif. - 75-78--153
John Long, Centreville, Va. - 77-77--154
Michael Mercier, Juno Beach, Fla. - 76-78--154
Mark Burden, Atlanta, Ga. - 82-72--154
George Zahringer, New York, N.Y. - 74-80--154
Mike Greer, Birmingham, Ala. - 82-72--154
Mark Macejko, Vass, N.C. - 76-78--154
Harry Ramirez, San Antonio, Texas - 78-76--154
Ted Smith, Wilkinson, Ind. - 80-74--154
James Gallagher, Yorktown, Va. - 76-78--154
Neil Vanleeuwen, Tarpon Springs, Fla. - 79-75--154
Curt Knorr, Dunwoody, Ga. - 81-73--154
Michael Turner, Sherman Oaks, Calif. - 75-79--154
Rusty Brown, Phoenix, Ariz. - 80-74--154
David Pohlmann, Louisville, Ky. - 81-74--155
Don Donatoni, Malvern, Pa. - 77-78--155
Allan Small, Florham Park, N.J. - 80-75--155
Ray Thompson, Drexel Hill, Pa. - 81-74--155
Vinny Giles, Richmond, Va. - 75-80--155
Stephen Sharpe, Greensboro, N.C. - 78-77--155
x-David Schultz, Canada - 77-79—156 (4)
x-Andrew Congdon, Great Barrington, Mass. - 81-75—156 (5,2)
x-Thomas Dicinti, Voorhees, N.J. - 78-78—156 (5,3)
x-Tom Schultz, Trinidad, Colo. - 79-77—156 (5,3)
x-Jon Tingley, Flemington, N.J. - 78-78—156 (5,3)
x-Mike Peck, Irving, Texas - 80-76—156 (5,4,3,4,3)
Failed To Qualify
x-Kimble Cater, Salinas, Calif. - 81-75—156 (5,4,3,4,5)
x-Bob Ammon, Waco, Texas - 81-75—156 (6)
x-Michael Kelly, Odenton, Md. - 79-77—156 (5,5)
x-Buck Baumann, Fremont, Ohio - 78-78—156 (5,4,4)
x-Rich Gleghorn, Santa Cruz, Calif. - 76-80—156 (5,4,5)
x-Greg Reynolds, Grand Blanc, Mich. - 83-73—156 (5,4,5)
x-Albert Johnson Jr., Lawton, Okla. - 85-71—156 (5,4,4)
Gay McMichael, Macon, Ga. - 79-78--157
Stan Lee, Heber Springs, Ark. - 78-79--157
Jim Shindler, Milwaukie, Ore. - 78-79--157
Kip Estep, Rockwall, Texas - 80-77--157
Steven Poulson, Bountiful, Utah - 77-80--157
Louis Lee, Heber Springs, Ark. - 79-78--157
Jay Blumenfeld, Parsippany, N.J. - 78-79--157
Mike Krumland, Columbus, Neb. - 79-78--157
Steven Ford, Trappe, Md. - 78-79--157
James Hegarty, Grand Rapids, Mich. - 83-75--158
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, Colo. - 79-79--158
Terry Foreman, Antioch, Calif. - 79-79--158
John Montross, Reno, Nev. - 80-78--158
Kent Frandsen, Lebanon, Ind. - 75-83--158
Mike Bell, Indianapolis, Ind. - 79-79--158
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo. - 82-76--158
Keith Waters, Raleigh, N.C. - 79-80--159
Steve Golliher, Knoxville, Tenn. - 80-79--159
Jim Gallagher, Charlotte, N.C. - 79-80--159
Jim Knoll, Sunnyvale, Calif. - 84-75--159
Tim Dinwiddie, Afton, Tenn. - 77-82--159
Joe Davis, Gastonia, N.C. - 81-78--159
Bob Stephens, Indianapolis, Ind. - 78-81--159
Walter Odiorne, Columbia, S.C. - 78-81--159
Dave Kempner, Ann Arbor, Mich. - 83-76--159
Gudmund Lindbjerg, Canada - 81-78--159
Mark Wagner, Statesville, N.C. - 81-79--160
Martin West, Rockville, Md. - 82-78--160
Mike Rice, Houston, Texas - 82-78--160
Neil Kopinski, Sarasota, Fla. - 81-79--160
Bob Kain, Gates Mills, Ohio - 79-81--160
Steve Rogers, Bowling Green, Ky. - 83-77--160
Hal Wright, Shreveport, La. - 80-80--160
Mark Knutson, Eden Prairie, Minn. - 80-81--161
David Jacobsen, Portland, Ore. - 82-79--161
Kevin King, Bluffton, S.C. - 82-79--161
Ronald Vannelli, Edison, N.J. - 81-80--161
Rick Ten Broeck, Chicago, Ill. - 79-82--161
Don Detweiler, Raleigh, N.C. - 78-83--161
Michael Dooner, Havana, Fla. - 82-79--161
Jim Craffey, Franklin Lakes, N.J. - 83-78--161
Carl Ho, Honolulu, Hawaii - 77-85--162
Joe Walker, Dennis, Mass. - 81-81--162
Cyrus Whitney, Oro Valley, Ariz. - 86-76--162
Mills Brown, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 81-82--163
David Pulk, Williamsburg, Va. - 85-78--163
David Vlasic, Valparaiso, Ind. - 83-80--163
Gregory Hetzer, San Pedro, Calif. - 86-77--163
David Zeid, Redding, Conn. - 78-85--163
Steven Poseler, Gibsonburg, Ohio - 85-78--163
Brian Johnston, Duluth, Ga. - 83-80--163
Marshall Uchida, Honolulu, Hawaii - 83-80--163
Barry Flaer, Adamstown, Md. - 82-82--164
Peter Sherwin, Cape Coral, Fla. - 85-79--164
Steve Melnyk, Jacksonville, Fla. - 84-81--165
Craig Stein, Moorhead, Minn. - 84-81--165
Chuck Davis, Tampa, Fla. - 86-79--165
James Dunn, Collinsville, Ill. - 78-88--166
William Heffernan, Dover, Mass. - 84-82--166
Stephen Macgeorge, Shoreline, Wash. - 84-82--166
Philip Moulton, Ivins, Utah - 81-85--166
Henry Coffman, Mansfield, Texas - 84-82--166
Michael O'Connor, Benton Harbor, Mich. - 87-81--168
Russ Perry, Winston Salem, N.C. - 86-82--168
Harry Johnson, Vail, Colo. - 87-81--168
Mark Tolson, Lafayette, La. - 84-84--168
David Lind, Burr Ridge, Ill. - 86-83--169
Gregory Brooking, Natchez, Miss. - 86-83--169
Ted Warner, Greeley, Colo. - 84-85--169
Jeff Wiltse, Bemidji, Minn. - 84-85--169
Craig Ling, Monterey, Calif. - 86-84--170
Richard Areddy, Aurora, Ohio - 90-81--171
Dan Mueller, Kenosha, Wis. - 87-85--172
Steve Schiro, Signal Hill, Calif. - 88-84--172
Bruce Cadwell, Boise, Idaho - 92-81--173
Bradford Kroll, Charlotte, N.C. - 84-89--173
Ross McCaskill, Little Rock, Ark. - 88-86--174
Steve Sabatini, La Quinta, Calif. - 90-85--175
George Waterhouse, Jackson, Wyo. - 85-93--178
Dick Satterfield, Cincinnati, Ohio - 94-WD--WD
Walter Himelsbaugh, Leesburg, Fla. - 82-WD--WD
Mike Pierce, Houston, Texas - 97-WD--WD
CASHIERS, N.C. – Pairings and starting times for Monday’s first round of match play at the 2013 USGA Senior Amateur, being conducted at the 6,842-yard, par-72 Wade Hampton Golf Club. (All times EDT):
Round of 64
Upper Bracket
2:45 p.m.: Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa. (138) vs. Mike Peck, Irving, Texas (156)
12:45 p.m.: James Lehman, Minnetonka, Minn. (152) vs. Paul Schlachter, Pittsburgh, Pa. (152)
12:53 p.m.: Robert Valerio, Hawthorne, Calif. (150) vs. Neil Vanleeuwen, Tarpon Springs, Fla. (154)
1:01 p.m.: Hill Adams, Katy, Texas (150) vs. James Gallagher, Yorktown, Va. (154)
1:09 p.m.: Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev.(147) vs. Vinny Giles, Richmond, Va. (155)
1:17 p.m.: George Marucci Jr., Villanova, Pa. (152) vs. John Long, Centreville, Va. (154)
1:25 p.m.: Randal Lewis, Alma, Mich. (148) vs. Ray Thompson, Drexel Hill, Pa. (155)
1:33 p.m.: Bev Hargraves, Helena, Ark. (151) vs. Michael Mercier, Juno Beach, Fla. (154)
2:37 p.m.: Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, S.C. (146) vs. Jon Tingley, Flemington, N.J. (156)
1:41 p.m.: David Holmes, Sutton, Mass. (152) vs. Don Erickson III, Dubois, Pa. (153)
1:49 p.m.: Bill Leonard, Dallas, Ga. (149) vs. Rusty Brown, Phoenix, Ariz. (154)
1:57 p.m.: Mike Booker, The Woodlands, Texas (151) vs. Mark Macejko, Vass, N.C. (154)
2:29 p.m.: Daniel Arvanitis, Manchester, N.H. (146) vs. Greg Congdon, Great Barrington, Mass. (156)
2:05 p.m.: Mickey Jones, Odessa, Texas (152) vs. Peter Wegmann, Sea Ranch Lakes, Fla. (153)
2:13 p.m.: Douglas Hanzel, Savannah, Ga. (149) vs. David Pohlmann, Louisville, Ky. (155)
2:21 p.m.: Mike Poe, Athens, Tenn. (151) vs. Mike Greer, Birmingham, Ala. (154)
Lower Bracket
2:53 p.m.: Jack Hall, Sea Island, Ga. (145) vs. Thomas Dicinti, Voorhees, N.J. (156)
3:01 p.m.: Larry Daniels, Seattle, Wash. (152) vs. Robert Parmar, Fairhope, Ala. (153)
3:09 p.m.: Ken Palladino, Dunedin, Fla. (150) vs. Curt Knorr, Dunwoody, Ga. (154)
3:17 p.m.: Patrick Tallent, Vienna, Va. (150) vs. Ted Smith, Wilkinson, Ind. (154)
3:25 p.m.: Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn. (147) vs. Stephen Sharpe, Greensboro, N.C. (155)
3:33 p.m.: Patrick Duncan, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (152) vs. Casey Boyns, Monterey, Calif. (153)
3:41 p.m.: Peach Reynolds, Austin, Texas (148) vs. Allan Small, Florham Park, N.J. (155)
3:49 p.m: Edward Steiber, Cincinnati, Ohio (151) vs. Mark Burden, Atlanta, Ga. (154)
3:57 p.m.: Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C. (146) vs. Tom Schultz, Trinidad, Colo. (156)
4:05 p.m.: Pat O'Donnell, Happy Valley, Ore. (152) vs. Mike Raymond, Jackson, Mich. (153)
4:13 p.m.: Craig Calkins, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (150) vs. Michael Turner, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (154)
4:21 p.m.: David Nelson, Reno, Nev. (150) vs. Harry Ramirez, San Antonio, Texas (154)
4:29 p.m.: David Szewczul, Farmington, Conn. (146) vs. David Schultz, Canada (156)
4:37 p.m.: Neil Spitalny, Chattanooga, Tenn. (152) vs. Jim Rollefson, Franklin, Wis. (153)
4:45 p.m.: Michael Hughett, Owasso, Okla. (149) vs. Don Donatoni, Malvern, Pa. (155)