News Release

For Immediate Release: June 17, 2004

Headline: 58 Competitors Advance to U.S. Amateur Public Links Sectional Qualifying

Norton, MA – Fifty-eight players are one step closer to competing in the 2004 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship following local qualifying which was held today at Beverly Golf & Tennis Center and Atkinson Country Club (NH). Today’s qualifiers will now set their sights on U.S. Amateur Public Links sectional qualifying, scheduled for June 24 at Red Tail Golf Club in Devons, Massachusetts. In addition to the 58 qualifiers, Matthew Arvanitis (Manchester, NH) and Eric Daniel (Dorchester, MA) will also compete at Red Tail GC. Those two players were exempt from local qualifying as a result of advancing to the Championship last year.

Here are highlights from today’s local qualifying:

Beverly G&TC:
Michael Willock (Weymouth, MA) and Ki Kwon (Methuen, MA) registered 2-under par 70 to lead a field of 30 qualifiers in Beverly. Douglas Crawford (Wayland, MA), who plays out of Stow Acres CC, was the only other player to break par as he finished at 1-under par 71 for the day.

Atkinson CC (NH):
Just yesterday, Benjamin Spitz (Norwell, MA) edged Adam Carlucci (Franklin, MA) by one stroke to capture medalist honors at Massachusetts Amateur qualifying. This time around it was Carlucci who finished atop the pack. Carlucci fired a 2-under par 70 to best the field at Atkinson by four strokes. Spitz was not far behind as he finished in a tie for third place with a score of 3-over par 75.

The MGA annually conducts qualifying rounds for the major USGA Championships, including the U.S. Open, Senior Open, Amateur, Junior Amateur, Senior Amateur, Mid-Amateur and the Amateur Public Links.

About the Championships:
The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship was launched in 1922 in hopes of giving exposure to many public-course players who otherwise might not have an opportunity to compete in a national championship. The 2004 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be conducted on July 12-17 at Rush Creek GC in Maple Grove, MN.