Merritt golfer Tom Lutz got hot when it counted.
The 64-year-old Lutz fired a sizzling 33 on the back nine to score an even-par 72 and take the win in the 2016 Black’s Pharmacy Senior Men’s Open at the Merritt Golf & Country Club on Friday.
Lutz finished one stroke ahead of runner-up Bob Fortune from Summerland, and four up on fellow Merrittonian Brad Carr.
Barriere’s Ray Amos was the runaway winner of the best low net score with a 60, six strokes better than Merritt’s Dennis Couture in second.
A total of 56 golfers from throughout the southern Interior took part in the annual one-day event that includes a delicious prime rib dinner and numerous prizes.
After touring the front nine in a three-over-par 39, Lutz stated that his driver and putter really started working for him on the back half of the course.
“On both par-threes, I almost had hole-in-ones,” he said. “I had tap-in putts for deuces. I also won three of the KP (closest-to-the-pin) competitions. The weather was perfect. It was a good scoring day.”
All told, there were eight deuces registered in this year’s Black’s Pharmacy Open.
Lutz, in his tenth senior men’s open at his home course, said that his best previous tournament score was a 75.
In second flight competition, Merritt’s Dwight Reynoldson took top honours with a score of 84, one better than another local golfer, Jim Zoney.
Low net honours went to Cache Creek’s Dennis Morrison (63), three strokes ahead of Keith Peterson from Barriere.
Merritt golfers performed well on their home course at this year’s Black’s Pharmacy Open, taking six of the top 10 spots in first flight competition, and seven of 10 places in flight two.
The next scheduled tournament at the Merritt Golf & Country Club is the annual Coquihalla Ladies Open, slated for July 8 to 10.
