Monday, June 16, 2014

The Pub Links' last hurrah

2014 marks the final year of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. First played in 1922, the Pub Links "has been an unqualified success...giving exposure to many public-course players who otherwise might not have an opportunity to compete in a national championship." (USGA.org)


This Wednesday, in the final year of sectional qualifying, Stow Acres will welcome a field of competitors who hope to advance to this last hurrah - which will be held at Sand Creek Station GC in Newton, Kansas from July 14-19.

Among those hoping to advance to the final playing of the Pub Links are Herbie Aikens (Pinehills GC), and Andy Drohen (The Ranch GC). Aikens has advanced to the Championship Proper for three years in a row! Drohen advanced to Match Play at last year's Championship. Additionally, up at Bretwood GC in Keene, NH, Chelso Barrett is hoping to punch his ticket to the Championship for the third year in a row. The Barrett family owns Bretwood and they have been a fantastic host for sectional qualifying for many years now. (They also make a mean coffee frappe!)

Another great thing that the Pub Links has done over the years is showcase some of the nation's best public golf courses. This must have been absolutely revolutionary when this championship was first founded. We have been fortunate enough to hold the sectional qualifying rounds at some of New England's best public facilities - Stow Acres continues to do so much to help grow the game in Massachusetts and it's only fitting that they should host sectional qualifying during the final year of this Championship that has done quite a bit to grow the game nationally over the last 90 years.

We thank all of our public facilities that have hosted U.S. APL qualifying over the years!

And what a perfect transition to talk about our own Amateur Public Links Championship - which isn't going anywhere! This is definitely one of our most popular Championships. First contested in 1982 at Leo J. Martin GC, the MGA Amateur Public Links Championship has annually brought together the best daily-fee golfers to some of our best public facilities. This year's Championship will be held in August at Cranberry Valley GC in Harwich. Qualifying begins at the end of the month. 

Good luck to all the guys trying to qualify this week! 


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