British Senior Open: Lutz is low am, again!
7/27/2014 | by Pete Wlodkowski of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for Senior British Open, Sunningdale Golf Club
As Bernhard Langer wins by a record margin, Pennsylvania's Chip Lutz edges George Zahringer for low am honors, will play again in 2015
BRIDGEND, Wales (July 27, 2014) -- It's getting to be a regular thing for Chip Lutz to stand at the British Senior Open trophy ceremony, and this year at Royal Porthcawl in Wales he made it three-straight low amateur honors.
In addition to experiencing high level competition among the game's legends, Lutz also earned the chance to get an exemption into next year's championship. That will be four straight times he tees it up in the tournament-proper.
Lutz continued his steady play in the final round, recording a few bogeys and looking poised for another round in the low 70s before getting stung by the 16th, where he made a triple.
George Zahringer -- the defending British Senior Open Amateur champion from New York -- shot a stunning 68 on Saturday to get into a tie with Lutz; that score was beaten by only six of the elite senior golfers in the field. (Tom Pernice matched the Royal Porthcawl course record of 64 on Friday, while Philip Walton of Ireland did the same on Saturday.)
But the stockbroker and 2002 US Mid Am champion failed to capture the same magic on Sunday, finishing with an 80 on a day where he made 8 bogeys and a double before finishing with a birdie. (If only that it was for 79.) Zahringer will cross the pond again to defend his Seniors Open Amateur title at England's Ganton Golf Club in early August.
Fans of AmateurGolf.com -- particularly those in California -- may remember San Franciscan Randy Haag's excellent run of back-to-back low am honors at the British Senior Open in 2010 and 2011. Now with Lutz accomplishing the three-peat, it's two players over five years. Both of them are seasoned amateur veterans with length and solid ball striking abilities.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE BRITISH SENIOR OPEN
Getting in the field itself is no easy accomplishment -- keep in mind that only Lutz is exempt into the championship proper next year; all others (especially from the USA) need to make the trip over to qualify against non-exempt senior pros and amateurs. Most of them play one or more practice rounds and also enjoy the chance to play some of the area's great links courses.
In 2014, 500 players from around the world competed at three Welsh links courses for a total of 30 available spots in the championship proper. And you never know how far it will get you -- in 2004 a relatively unknown American professional named Pete Oakley made it through a similar qualifier and went on to win the Senior Open title in a playoff over Tom Kite and Euoardo Romero.
Next year, the Senior Open will be played at the famed Sunningdale Golf Club outside of London. In 2016, it heads to Scotland's Carnoustie Golf Links. For qualifying information, visit www.randa.org.
Results: Senior British Open
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T46 | Reading, PA | 600 | 72-72-73-78-295 |
About the Senior British Open
The Senior British Open Championship has been part of the European Seniors Tour since 1987 and from 2003 is included in the Champions Tour as one of the five major world events in senior golf. The event is jointly administered by the European Seniors...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original