News Release

For Immediate Release: May 10, 2005

Headline: Michael Baker Leads Field of Five U.S. Open Qualifiers at Pinehills Golf Club

Plymouth, MA – Michael Baker (Stratton, ME) posted a dominating 5-under par 67 round on Wednesday to claim medalist honors at U.S. Open Local Qualifying, which was held this afternoon at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth. Baker, an assistant golf professional at Sugarloaf Golf Club in Carrabassett Valley (ME), made the turn at 2-under par 33 and continued his strong play down the stretch as he finished his back nine with a score of 3-under par 33.

Other professionals advancing today were 1998 Massachusetts Junior champion Michael Carbone (Brewster, MA), who registered a 3-under par 69, Jeff Martin (Warwick, RI) and Kirk Hanefeld (Bolton, MA). When not qualifying for USGA events, Hanefeld serves as director of golf at The International Golf Club.

Also advancing was local amateur Doug Clapp (Walpole, MA), who one day earlier was competing in the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship on Cape Cod. This year marks the second straight year that Clapp has advanced past U.S. Open local qualifying.

By virtue of qualifying today, these five competitors have earned the right to advance to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying, which will be held on June 6-7. A second and final round of local qualifying will take place on May 23 rd at Shaker Hills Golf Club in Harvard. This year’s U.S. Open Championship is scheduled for June 16-19 at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst , N.C.

The MGA annually conducts qualifying rounds for the major United States Golf Association (USGA) Championships, including the U.S. Open, Senior Open, Amateur, Junior Amateur, Senior Amateur, Mid-Amateur and the Amateur Public Links. For more information about the U.S. Open Championship, please visit the USGA’s web site at www.usga.org.

U.S. Open Local Qualifying
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Pinehills GC (Nicklaus Course) – Plymouth, MA
Par 72 (36-36)

Qualifiers
1 Michael Baker (Stratton, ME) 34-33--67
2 Michael Carbone (Brewster, MA) 34-35--69
3 Kirk Hanefeld (Bolton, MA) 34-36--70
4 a-Douglas Clapp (Walpole, MA) 34-37--71
5 Jeff Martin (Warwick, RI) 35-36--71

Alternates:
1st Christopher Gehling (Londonderry, NH) 36-36--72
2nd Scott Johnson (Watertown, MA) 38-34--72
3rd a-Keegan Bradley (Newburyport, MA) 36-36--72
4th Tom Tobey (Buzzards Bay, MA) 36-37--73