NCGA Hall of Famer Randy Haag and Golf Association of Philadelphia Hall of Famer Chip Lutz teamed up for a record-tying third NCGA Senior Four-Ball crown.
Lutz and Haag, who originally met at the Coleman Invitational at Seminole back around 2003, posted a final-round 2-under 69 to come in at 13-under 200, defeating co-runners-up Mark Morgan and Mike Rowley and Bill Bunce and Darin Carlsen by two strokes.
Lutz, now 69, and Haag, 65, also won the title back-to-back in 2016 and 2017 at Bayonet/Black Horse GC in Seaside. Rob Thompson and Robert Berg won three titles in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Haag, who also won a title in 2022 with Robert Funk, is the first individual to win the event four times.
"Our games complement one another beautifully," Lutz said. "We do a great job of keeping the ball in play, and neither of us is ever out of a hole, so we can at times be aggressive."
"Playing golf with Chip is like a dream. Spending the week with Chip is super special for me," Haag said.
The two made their biggest move in the first round. They were stuck at even-par through 13 holes. But they'd go on a tear to close, carding a birdie on 14, 17 and an eagle on 18 to instantly put themselves in contention. A second round 65 gave them a two-shot cushion entering the final round.
"The finish to the first round. That really jump-started us," Lutz said. "Prior to that we weren't really doing much."
Morgan and Rowley, who were looking to become three-time champions themselves, finished at 207 following a 67. They'd be stung in the second round when they played the par-5 ninth and 18 holes at 1-over par.
Bunce and Carlsen had the low round of the day, posting a 66 to move five spots up the leaderboard into a tie for second. They'd earn second place following a card-off win over Morgan and Rowley.
In the Super Senior championship, teammates Rich Petit and Todd Palmaer made a breathtaking charge over the final three holes of regulation to claim the title.
Petit made a birdie on No.16, sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th and drained a 9-foot birdie on the 18th following a spectacular bunker shot to finish with a 4-under 67 to hold off the runner-up tandem of Terry Foreman and Chuck Richesin.
Coming to the 18th, there was the possibility of a three-way tie. Foreman and Richesin were in at 202 after a 67 and tied at a total of 11-under with Petit and Palmaer. Also in the running was the brothers tandem of Jim and Doug Williams, who were at 10-under.
The Williams brothers would settle for a par on 18 and a 69, landing them in third place at 203. Petit, meanwhile, hit a beautiful 35-yard shot out of the greenside bunker to 9 feet of the flagstick. He'd go on to make the putt to put him and Palmaer at 12-under. Their total of 201 set a 54-hole record for the Super Senior portion of the event.
"I knew when I hit it (bunker shot) that it was pretty good," said Petit, who now has two NCGA titles (2020 Senior Amateur Match Play).
Earlier on the 17th, Petit had sunk a curling 35-footer to tie Foreman and Richesin at a total of 11-under.
"Rich made two great shots to get us," Richesin said.
For Palmaer, a member at Monterey Peninsula CC, it was his first NCGA crown.
"I was just happy to ride in the cart with Rich," Palmaer quipped. "It feels great to finally get a win. It took me a few years."