News Release

For Immediate Release: June 20, 2005

Headline: Three Advance to U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship Following Qualifying

Gardner, MA – Three competitors outplayed a field of more than 90 to earn the right to compete at the 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, which will be held next month in Ohio . The first of two sectional qualifying rounds was conducted on Monday afternoon at Gardner Municipal Golf Course.

Leading the field with a superb medalist score of 133 was Ryan Blaum (Durham, NC). Three strokes back of Blaum was another out-of-state player, Anthony Kim (Norman, OK). Rounding out the list of qualifiers was local amateur standout, Jim Renner (Plainville, MA) with a score of 139. Renner, a junior at Johnson & Wales University in Florida , made a name for himself locally when he finished second at the 2001 Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

Last week, local amateur Michael Welch (Quincy, MA ) earned a berth into the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship after capturing medalist honors at a qualifying round which was held at Crestbrook Park Golf Course in Watertown , Connecticut . Welch is in Tyngsboro this week competing in the Massachusetts Open Championship at Vesper Country Club.

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 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be conducted on July 11-16 at Shaker Run Golf Club in Lebanon, Ohio.

U.S. Amateur Public Links Sectional Qualifying
Monday, June 20, 2005
Gardner Municipal Golf Course – Gardner, MA

Qualifiers
1 Ryan Blaum (Durham, NC) 64-67--133
2 Anthony Kim (Norman, OK) 69-67--136
3 Jim Renner (Plainville, MA) 71-68--139

Alternates
1 Tim Johnson (Marblehead, MA) 73-71--144
2 Adam Kolloff (Stow, MA) 75-70--145