Dick Lotz
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Lotz is an American
professional golfer
who has played on the PGA Tour
and the Senior PGA Tour.
Lotz was born in Oakland, California
. Along with his older brother John, he developed his game under the tutelage of noted black golf instructor Lucius Bateman whose other students included PGA Tour winners Don Whitt
, John McMullin
, and Tony Lema
.
Lotz attended San Mateo Junior College
(1962–1963) and was a member of the golf
team. He was the individual medalist at the California Community College Championship. He shot a record-breaking 59 in the final round of the 1963 Santa Clara County Golf Championship, which still stands. As an amateur, Lotz captured the 1960 and 1963 Alameda Commuters golf tournament, 1961 and 1962 California State Fair events, the 1962 and 1963 Stanford Invitationals, 1963 Oakland City, 1963 Santa Clara County championship, 1963 Far Western Junior Intercollegiate championship, and most notably, the 1962 California State Amateur Championship. In 1963, his final year as an amateur, Lotz came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur since Gene Littler in 1954, to win on the PGA Tour. He was victorious as an amateur that year in a Sectional Stroke Play tournament. Before declaring their intention to turn professional, both Lotz brothers were ranked among the nation's Top Ten Amateurs in 1963 by Golf Digest
magazine. He and his brother both turned professional in 1963.
Lotz played on the PGA Tour from 1964–1978. Among his victories were three official events, the 1969 Alameda Open, the 1970 Kemper Open and the 1970 Monsanto Open. Among the unofficial professional tournaments Lotz captured were the Chales Schultz Pro-Am Invitational, the 1972 Plantation Classic in North Carolina, the 1985 Northern California PGA Match and Medal championship, and the 1985 Blackhawk Invitational.
Lotz's career year was 1970 when he won twice, finished second at the San Antonio Open Invitational, and earned five other top ten finishes to rank 7th on the year's official money list. That performance earned Lotz Golf Digests Most Improved Golfer award, along with selection by its editorial panel of experts of those most likely to capture a major
in 1971. In similar fashion, Golf Magazine
named Lotz to its PGA All-American Team. His best performance in a major also came in 1970 – a T-8 at the PGA Championship
.
The following year, Lotz's brother John was stricken with illness while playing in the Caribbean, and Dick Lotz left the Tour to accompany his ailing brother home, taking time off to help care for him during his recovery. Upon returning to the tour, Lotz was named to the PGA Tournament Players committee during a fractious period in PGA and Tour player relations, a role that detracted from his ability to focus on his own play while also suffering the theft of his clubs. The combination of these difficulties served to undermine Lotz's ability to sustain his level of victorious play, and by 1978 he left the Tour.
After reaching the age of 50 in 1992, Lotz joined the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour
). His best finish in this venue was a T-4 at the 1994 Bank of Boston Senior Classic. Lotz lived in Pleasanton, California
for much of his adult life, but now lives in the greater Sacramento
metropolitan area.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who has played on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and the Senior PGA Tour.
Lotz was born in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. Along with his older brother John, he developed his game under the tutelage of noted black golf instructor Lucius Bateman whose other students included PGA Tour winners Don Whitt
Don Whitt
Donald Whitt was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.Whitt was a student of accomplished black golf instructor Lucius Bateman, teacher of such other multiple-tournament-winning PGA Touring pros as Tony Lema, John McMullin, and Dick Lotz...
, John McMullin
John McMullin (golfer)
John McMullin is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.McMullin was born in Richmond, California. He was a pupil of noted black golf instructor Lucius Bateman whose other students included future PGA Tour winners Don Whitt, Dick Lotz and Tony Lema...
, and Tony Lema
Tony Lema
Anthony David "Tony" Lema was an American professional golfer, who rose to fame in the beginning of golf's modern era, but had his young life and career cut short in an aircraft accident. His most prestigious victory was the 1964 British Open.-Biography:Lema was born in Oakland, California, to...
.
Lotz attended San Mateo Junior College
College of San Mateo
College of San Mateo is a community college in San Mateo, California. It is part of the San Mateo County Community College District....
(1962–1963) and was a member of the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team. He was the individual medalist at the California Community College Championship. He shot a record-breaking 59 in the final round of the 1963 Santa Clara County Golf Championship, which still stands. As an amateur, Lotz captured the 1960 and 1963 Alameda Commuters golf tournament, 1961 and 1962 California State Fair events, the 1962 and 1963 Stanford Invitationals, 1963 Oakland City, 1963 Santa Clara County championship, 1963 Far Western Junior Intercollegiate championship, and most notably, the 1962 California State Amateur Championship. In 1963, his final year as an amateur, Lotz came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur since Gene Littler in 1954, to win on the PGA Tour. He was victorious as an amateur that year in a Sectional Stroke Play tournament. Before declaring their intention to turn professional, both Lotz brothers were ranked among the nation's Top Ten Amateurs in 1963 by Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
magazine. He and his brother both turned professional in 1963.
Lotz played on the PGA Tour from 1964–1978. Among his victories were three official events, the 1969 Alameda Open, the 1970 Kemper Open and the 1970 Monsanto Open. Among the unofficial professional tournaments Lotz captured were the Chales Schultz Pro-Am Invitational, the 1972 Plantation Classic in North Carolina, the 1985 Northern California PGA Match and Medal championship, and the 1985 Blackhawk Invitational.
Lotz's career year was 1970 when he won twice, finished second at the San Antonio Open Invitational, and earned five other top ten finishes to rank 7th on the year's official money list. That performance earned Lotz Golf Digests Most Improved Golfer award, along with selection by its editorial panel of experts of those most likely to capture a major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
in 1971. In similar fashion, Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
named Lotz to its PGA All-American Team. His best performance in a major also came in 1970 – a T-8 at the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
.
The following year, Lotz's brother John was stricken with illness while playing in the Caribbean, and Dick Lotz left the Tour to accompany his ailing brother home, taking time off to help care for him during his recovery. Upon returning to the tour, Lotz was named to the PGA Tournament Players committee during a fractious period in PGA and Tour player relations, a role that detracted from his ability to focus on his own play while also suffering the theft of his clubs. The combination of these difficulties served to undermine Lotz's ability to sustain his level of victorious play, and by 1978 he left the Tour.
After reaching the age of 50 in 1992, Lotz joined the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
). His best finish in this venue was a T-4 at the 1994 Bank of Boston Senior Classic. Lotz lived in Pleasanton, California
Pleasanton, California
Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about east of Oakland, and west of Livermore. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in...
for much of his adult life, but now lives in the greater Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
metropolitan area.
Amateur wins
- 1960 Alameda Commuters Championship
- 1961 California State Fair Men's Amateur Championships
- 1962 California State Fair Men's Amateur Championships, Stanford Invitational Golf Championship, California Golf Association Championship
- 1963 Alameda Commuters Championship, Stanford Invitational Golf Championship, Oakland City, Santa Clara County Championship, Far Western Junior Intercollegiate Championship
PGA Tour wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 12, 1969 | Alameda County Open Alameda County Open The Alameda County Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was held from January 9–12, 1969 at the Sunol Valley Golf Club's Palm course in Sunol, California. The event was won by hometowner Dick Lotz, then 26 years-old, by one-stroke over Don Whitt. The winning score was 290 .... |
1 stroke |  Don WhittDon Whitt Donald Whitt was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.Whitt was a student of accomplished black golf instructor Lucius Bateman, teacher of such other multiple-tournament-winning PGA Touring pros as Tony Lema, John McMullin, and Dick Lotz... |
|
| 2 | Mar 15, 1970 1970 PGA Tour The 1970 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to December 13. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Monsanto Open | 3 strokes | Dave Stockton Dave Stockton David Knapp Stockton is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.... |
|
| 3 | Jun 7, 1970 1970 PGA Tour The 1970 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to December 13. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Kemper Open | 2 strokes | Lou Graham, Larry Hinson Larry Hinson Larry Hinson is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour from 1968–1976.Hinson was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, but has lived almost his entire life in Douglas, Georgia. Despite having a left arm slightly withered from boyhood polio, he was able to compete in amateur and... , Grier Jones, Tom WeiskopfTom Weiskopf Thomas Daniel Weiskopf is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s, and he won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982. After winding down his tournament career, Weiskopf has become a noted golf course... |