U.S. Amateur Public Links

The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, often referred to as the Public Links or the Publinx, is a men's amateur golf tournament, one of 10 individual amateur championships organized by the United States Golf Association. The USGA typically calls the event the U.S. Amateur Public Links, which it has registered as a service mark. The tournament was devised as, and remains, a championship for golfers who play on public courses, as members of private clubs are barred from entry.

The first Public Links was held in 1922 at the Ottawa Park Course in Toledo, Ohio. The event has grown over time, from 140 entries in 1922 to over 6,000 in 1998.

Eligibility is similar to that for the U.S. Amateur. Golfers must follow the USGA's guidelines for amateur status, which basically consider anyone who has ever played or taught golf for money to be a professional. The Public Links, like the U.S. Amateur, has no age limit. However, there are two key differences in the eligibility criteria for the Public Links:
*Entries are accepted from golfers with a USGA men's handicap of 4.4 or lower, as opposed to 2.4 for the U.S. Amateur.
*Entries are "not" accepted from players who have playing privileges at golf clubs not open to the general public, and such golfers are not allowed to compete if they receive such privileges between their entry and the end of the main tournament.
**Exceptions to above: The USGA does consider some players with privileges at non-public facilities to be "bona fide public course players," specifically those whose privileges are solely due to any of the following:
***Their enrollment in a specific educational institution.
***Their status as active or retired members of the military.
***Their current or former employment by an entity other than a golf club.While the Public Links is a men's competition, the tournament rules do not bar women from entering the event. In 2005, 15-year-old prodigy Michelle Wie became the first woman to advance to the tournament proper, and also the first woman ever to qualify for a USGA men's championship.

As is the case for all other USGA championships, the original entrants are reduced to a manageable number by means of several sectional qualifying tournaments. The survivors then play two rounds of stroke play, with the top 64 qualifying for a single-elimination tournament held at match play. All knockout matches are held over 18 holes, except for the 36-hole final. (Before 2001, the final was an 18-hole match.)

The winner of the event earns an invitation to the following year's Masters, if still an amateur at the time of The Masters.

The 2005 edition, held in Lebanon, Ohio, drew an unusually large amount of media attention due to Wie's presence. She had stated on several occasions that she wished to one day play in The Masters, and this event was generally considered to be her best chance to qualify. Wie advanced to the match play rounds, eventually losing in the quarterfinals to Clay Ogden, who went on to win the tournament.

The analogous event for women is the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, established in 1977 (which Wie herself won in 2003).

Trevor Immelman became the first winner of the Public Links to win a Major Championship with his victory at the 2008 Masters Tournament. His playing partner in the final round Brandt Snedeker was also a past Public Links winner.

Winners

*2008 Jack Newman
*2007 Colt Knost
*2006 Casey Watabu
*2005 Clay Ogden
*2004 Ryan Moore
*2003 Brandt Snedeker
*2002 Ryan Moore
*2001 Chez Reavie
*2000 D. J. Trahan
*1999 Hunter Haas
*1998 Trevor Immelman
*1997 Tim Clark
*1996 Tim Hogarth
*1995 Chris Wollmann
*1994 Guy Yamamoto
*1993 David Berganio, Jr.
*1992 Warren Schutte
*1991 David Berganio, Jr.
*1990 Michael Combs
*1989 Tim Hobby
*1988 Ralph Howe III
*1987 Kevin Johnson
*1986 Billy Mayfair
*1985 Jim Sorenson
*1984 Bill Malley
*1983 Billy Tuten
*1982 Billy Tuten
*1981 Jodie Mudd
*1980 Jodie Mudd
*1979 Dennis Walsh
*1978 Dean Prince
*1977 Jerry Vidovic
*1976 Eddie Mudd
*1975 Randy Barenaba
*1974 Charles Barenaba, Jr.
*1973 Stan Stopa
*1972 Bob Allard
*1971 Fred Haney
*1970 Robert Risch
*1969 John M. Jackson, Jr.
*1968 Gene Towry
*1967 Verne Callison
*1966 Lamont Kaser
*1965 Arne Dokka
*1964 William McDonald
*1963 Robert Lunn
*1962 R. H. Sikes
*1961 R. H. Sikes
*1960 Verne Callison
*1959 William A. Wright
*1958 Dan Sikes
*1957 Don Essig III
*1956 James H. Buxbaum
*1955 Sam D. Kocsis
*1954 Gene Andrews
*1953 Ted Richards, Jr.
*1952 Omer L. Bogan
*1951 Dave Stanley
*1950 Stanley Bielat
*1949 Kenneth J. Towns
*1948 Michael R. Ferentz
*1947 Wilfred Crossley
*1946 Smiley Quick
*1941 William M. Welch, Jr.
*1940 Robert C. Clark
*1939 Andrew Szwedko
*1938 Al Leach
*1937 Bruce N. McCormick
*1936 Pat Abbott
*1935 Frank Strafaci
*1934 David A. Mitchell
*1933 Charles Ferrera
*1932 R. L. Miller
*1931 Charles Ferrera
*1930 Robert E. Wingate
*1929 Carl F. Kauffmann
*1928 Carl F. Kauffmann
*1927 Carl F. Kauffmann
*1926 Lester Bolstad
*1925 Raymond J. McAuliffe
*1924 Joseph Coble
*1923 Richard J. Walsh
*1922 Edmund R. Held

Multiple winners

*3 wins: Carl F. Kauffmann
*2 wins: David Berganio, Jr., Verne Callison, Charles Ferrera, Ryan Moore, Jodie Mudd, R. H. Sikes, Billy Tuten

Future sites

*2009 Jimmie Austin University of Oklahoma Golf Club, Norman OK [http://www.ougolfclub.com]
*2010 Bryan Park Golf and Conference Center, Greensboro, NC [http://www.bryanpark.com/]

External links

* [http://www.usapl.org Official site]