News Release

For Immediate Release: July 7, 2008

Headline: 44 Golfers Advance During Day 1 of 2008 Massachusetts Public Links Qualifying

Norton, MA – The first of three days of qualifying for the Massachusetts Public Links Championship has concluded with 44 golfers earning the right to compete at Championship Proper, which is scheduled for August 11-12 at Blissful Meadows Golf Course.

Qualifying – which was open to any public player with an up-to-date MGA/USGA GHIN Handicap Index not exceeding 12.0 – was held today at three sites: The Meadow at Peabody GC (Peabody), Swansea CC (Swansea) and Gardner Municipal GC (Gardner).

On a day when making pars was golden, one golfer managed to break par and claim top honors at qualifying held at Gardner Municipal GC. Adam Rubin (Stow Acres CC) weathered an up-and-down front nine that included three birdies and three bogies and cruised through a back nine with one birdie and eight pars to finish off a solid round of 1-under par 70. Rubin bested Nick Erlichman (Cyprian Keyes GC) by one shot in a qualifier that saw 18 competitors advance.

Also qualifying at that site were 2003 Massachusetts Junior Champion Aaron Siekierski (Dudley Hill GC) and his younger brother Bret Siekierski (Dudley Hill GC), who shot identical scores of 2-over par 73.

On the North Shore, it was a pair of Larry Gannon Municipal Golf Course members who led the way with scores of even par 71 at The Meadow at Peabody GC. Brian Small (Larry Gannon Municipal GC) and John Lynch, Jr. (Larry Gannon Municipal GC) earned co-medalist honors by besting a field of 61 contestants. One notable qualifier from that site was Steve St. Amand (The Meadow at Peabody GC), a three-time winner of the Massachusetts Public Links Championship. The Salem resident captured the title in 1989, 1990 and 1993. A total of 12 players advanced in Peabody.

Two players finished atop the leaderboard at Swansea Country Club. Michael Pyne (Foxoboro CC) and Brian Secia (Miacomet GC) both fired medalist scores of 1-over par 73 to lead a field of 14 qualifiers at that site. Pyne made the turn at 2-over par 38 but finished strong with eight pars and one birdie – on the 615-yard, par 13 th hole – to post a 1-under par 35 on the back nine. Secia registered four bogies and three birdies on the day en route to his 1-over par 73 score.

Also qualifying at that site were Ryan Riley (Norton CC), Rick Cunha(Pinehills GC), Derek Ladd (Acushnet River Valley CC) and Jon Fasick (New England CC)… all of whom – along with Pyne – qualified for and will be competing in next week’s 100 th Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

Two additional days of qualifying will be held at the following sites: July 8 – Brookmeadow CC (Canton), Franconia GC (Springfield); July 10 – Far Corner GC (West Boxford).