Tommy Kintzer is a superintendent. That means he knows his way around a golf course.

Because he was once the superintendent at Blue Mountain, he came to know every inch of that Fredericksburg golf course. It was knowledge that served him well at the 29th annual Lebanon County Senior Amateur championship.

On a scorching Friday over Blue Mountain’s 5,558-yard, par-71 layout, Kintzer fired a two-under par 69 to win his first County senior amateur title on his initial attempt. Kintzer edged another first-time senior – Danny Brown – thanks in part to a 20-foot, uphill birdie on the final hole, Blue Mountain’s 306-yard, par-four 18th.

Kintzer, the one-time superintendent at Iron Valley Golf Course and the current superintendent at Pine Meadows, posted a total of three birdies, 14 pars and a single bogey over his round. But Kintzer’s championship was as much a testament to his patience as it was his golf course knowledge.

After starting his day with seven straight pars, Kintzer got into the red with a short birdie on the par-five eighth hole. Then at the par-three 12th, Kintzer reached two-under with a twisting 15-foot birdie.

A bogey at the par-four 17th hole tied Kintzer with Brown for the lead. But that was before his heroics on number 18.

– Jeff Falk