Senior Results Super-Senior Results
Lutz and Daniels Weather Storm
Chip Lutz (left) and Gary Daniels
Camp Hill, PA - Chip Lutz, of LedgeRock Golf Club, and Gary Daniels, of Saucon Valley Country Club, were able to dodge a barrage of birdies (4 of them in the last 7 holes) by Don Erickson, III, of Indiana Country Club, and John Benson, of Punxsutawney Country Club, to win the Senior Better-Ball Championship.
In the first round, the Erickson/Benson team posted a stellar round of 8-under-par, 64, but only stood in the lead for a short while as Lutz/Daniels match their first round, eight birdie tally.The players were forced to play in some less than desirable conditions for the second round, 50 degrees and raining much of the day.
The weather was less than desirable
Lutz and Daniels made the turn with a one-shot lead over Erickson/Benson and a six shot lead over the next closest team, and they never looked back. Erickson/Benson made bogey on the 366 yard, par 4, 10th hole to give Lutz/Daniels a two-shot lead after the 10th hole. Erickson/Benson got one back on the 517 yard, par 5, 12th hole with a birdie, but Lutz/Daniels fired back with a nice birdie on the 179 yard, par 3, 13th. That birdie must have fired Erickson/Benson up because they finished with 3 birdies in the final 4 holes.
Erickson/Benson clawed back to one shot behind the leaders after Don Erickson rolled in a birdie on the 530 yard, par 5, 17th hole. Chip Lutz had just lipped out from 30 feet on the front of the 17th green, which could have sealed the championship. The teams headed to the, very difficult, 173 yard, par 3, 18th tee with a treacherous front-left hole location. Hit your drive long and a three-putt would be inevitable. That would not happen to these competitors though.
Don Erickson, III's tee shot on #18
Both Erickson and Benson hit their drives to 8 feet and 14 feet, respectively, to put the pressure on the leaders. Gary Daniels hit his drive into the left greenside bunker which put the pressure solely on Chip Lutz's back. ....No problem, Lutz almost knocked the flag down. His shot landed 6 feet behind the flag and spun back to 18 inches. Erickson rolled in his birdie try from 8 feet, but it was all just a formality for Lutz to finish with a birdie on top of Erickson's.
Chip Lutz taps in to win the Championship
SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION (65 & Older)
King Knox, of Lancaster Country Club, and Jim Sherratt, of Old York Road Country Club, were tied for the lead after round one, with a score of two-under-par, 70, which featured a front nine score of 33. Co-leaders were Dick Smith, of Philadelphia Country Club, and Butch Lehard, of Applebrook Golf Club who also shot 70, with a final nine of 34.
King Knox (left), Chuck Dannenberg (Association President),
and Jim Sherratt
The two teams were still tied after 27 holes at even-par, and they were not being pressured by anyone in front of them on the course. You wouldn't know there wasn't any pressure if you asked King Knox, though. You would have thought he needed to catch the leaders, rather than hold the lead. He began an amazing stretch of holes on the 290 yard, par 4, 8th hole with a birdie. He then rattled off another four birdies over the next six holes, to complete an eight hole stretch of 5-under-par for the team.
Knox/Sherratt finished that nine with a score of 33, and a 5-shot victory. Smith/Lenhard finished in second with a final score of 2-over-par, 146.
Dick Smith (left) and Butch Lenhard