Monday December 07, 2009, 09:16 PM

Australian David Lutterus, who began the final round two strokes adrift of a job, fired an eight-under par 64 Monday at PGA Tour qualifying School to book his spot on the circuit for 2010.

"I was thinking 59 for a while there actually," Lutterus said of matching the all-time low PGA round. "I enjoyed it out there."

An emotional six-day, 108-hole battle over two courses to decide next year's playing rights ended with American Troy Merritt setting the pace at 23-under 410 but everyone in the top 25 or level achieving the goal of a 2010 tour spot.

"You have to just tell yourself it's a long week, you're going to have some bad breaks during the week and you just have to stay patient," said Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge, who shared fifth on 415.

Six players from outside the United States qualified Monday, including de Jonge, South Africa's Brenden Pappas and Andrew McLardy, Canadian rookie Graham Delaet and Australians Lutterus and Matt Jones.

Lutterus birdied four of the first six holes and closed the front nine with another to stake his claim to a tour berth. Birdies at the par-3 11th and 14th around an eagle at the 12th were more than enough to offset a lone bogey at 15.

Lutterus, who finished on 15-under 417, played the final round of the event in 2007 with Yang Yong-Eun, the 2009 PGA Championship winner, and felt the tension more than this year.

"Coming from Australia to America, the big bright lights and everything, is a bit daunting at first, but I have been over here for four years," Lutterus said.

"Two years ago, I was a bit awestruck about this whole thing, so this time I tried to take it in stride."

Jones, now set for a third season on the US PGA Tour, finished third on 413 after a final-round 66.

"I was exhausted," Jones said. "I was just trying to have as many birdies as I can. I know what to expect and know the courses better (on tour) so I hope to do a little better out there next year."

McLardy, born in Zimbabwe to Scottish parents, endured a nerve-wracking finish but a last-hole bogey got him in on the number, sharing 23rd on 423 with Americans Spencer Levin and Brent Delahoussaye.

"I've been trying this for so long. To finally pull it off, I don't know what to say. I still can't even believe I made it," said Delahoussaye, who will delay his homeymoon to play the PGA season opener next month in Hawaii.

Eight players were one stroke out of a tour spot, sharing 26th on 424, including Australian Bronson La'Cassie and Canada's Julien Trudeau, a distant relative of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

© 2009 AFP/sid