George Zahringer

BRIDGEND, Wales (July 24, 2014) -- Qualifying for the British Senior Open as an amateur is an accomplishment in itself; what George Zahringer and Chip Lutz are doing this week is on a whole other level.

Zahringer, the defending Senior Open Amateur champion has continued his strong play across the pond, as he shot even-par 71 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on Thursday. He is tied for seventh with names such as Fred Couples and David Frost.

His scorecard is quite the sight, as he only made one par on the front nine, adding in four birdies and four bogeys for an even-par side. He bogeyed the 12th to drop to one-over, but sunk a birdie on the closing hole to post even for the day.

Lutz also played solid on Thursday, carding a round of one-over 72 that included three bogeys and two birdies. He is tied for 16th and tied with Colin Montgomerie after the first round of play.

A total of nine amateur are vying to make the weekend and challenge Lutz and Zahringer for low amateur honors.

The tournament will cut the field to the low 70 and ties after Friday’s second round. Bernhard Langer leads the tournament after a six-under 65.