ZANESVILLE — Building confidence entering the high school and college seasons was a big part of the Zanesville District Golf Association Collegiate and Junior Amateur tournaments.
The three winners noted the importance of it after the second and final round of the event on Wednesday at par-70 EagleSticks.
Owen Lutz trailed Noah Dever by two strokes entering the Boys Championship Flight, but a pair of birdies highlighted a 2-under-par round of 68 for the Maysville golfer.
It allowed him to edge Dever by one stroke, as Lutz finished with a two-round total of 145 (77-68) to Dever’s 146 (75-71).
Owen Van Fossen (78-74) and Austen Gunn (79-73) tied for third with 152 and Daniel Sparks rounded out the top five with a 157 (78-79).
The familiarity with EagleSticks gave Lutz confidence entering the round. His birdies came on the 4th and 16th holes, but posting pars on the first two holes of the back nine were crucial.
“At one point Noah was 3-under and I was 1-under, and I wasn’t sure it would be my day,” Lutz noted. “I’ve played this course a million times and stuck to what I know. Noah had a couple tough holes where I was able to make up some strokes, and eventually I passed him.
“I stayed the course and made a lot of pars,” he added. “This is the first tournament that I won against this level of competition. It means a lot to win it on my home course.”
CJ Dolan won the Boys First Flight with a 161 (85-76), and Cade Pickrell was second at 168 (88-80).
Addy Burris and Morgan Wamer were tied at 84 entering the round, but Burris shot a 75 to Wamer’s 81 to claim the girls title. Burris posted a two-round total of 159 (84-75) to Wamer’s 165 (84-81).
While Burris made several birdies, she converted a long par putt from the fringe on the par-3 10th to maintain momentum. She credited a good mindset on allowing her to claim the championship after finishing second last year.
“I wanted to play my best. I was able to keep my head up and just played with a positive attitude,” Burris said. “My driver was strong, and I made some birdies early. It’s a good way to start off my high school season, and I can end the summer on a high note.”
The Collegiate Division also came down to the wire, as Nick Luniewski knocked down a birdie on the par-5 18th hole and posted a 1-under 69 to finish with a two-round total of 142. He shot 73 at Vista on Tuesday.
It was enough to beat Derek Graham by one shot, as he posted a 72 and finished at 143 after a 71 at Vista. Ethan Miller placed third with 154 (74-80).
Luniewski wasn’t deterred by a two-shot deficit entering the final round. He tallied four birdies, including on Nos. 3, 12 and 16.
“I drove the ball well, and I was able to stay close through the front nine by making some good pars,” Luniewski said. “I had to layup from my second shot on 18, but I was able to hit my wedge within 15 feet and knocked down the putt.
“I was able to shoot under par against good competition. This is definitely huge from a confidence standpoint.”
[email protected]; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: ZDGA Junior Amateur: Steady play leads to titles for Lutz, Burris