PAR AND YARDAGE - Blue Heron Pines' East Course will play 7,127 yards and par 35-36-71. The length of the championship set-up ties Edgewood Tahoe G.C. in Stateline, Nev. (1980) as the longest course in 78 Public Links Championships.

ARCHITECT - Designed by Steve Smyers, the East Course at Blue Heron Pines Golf Club opened in May of 2000.

APL ON THE WEB - For scores, pairings and the latest U.S. Amateur Public Links information, visit the USGA Web Site at www.usga.org. Near real-time scoring will be available at the championship Web Site at www.usapl.org.

USGA TOLL-FREE INTERVIEW HOTLINE - An interview with the 2002 champion will be available after the final. Call toll-free (888-321-USGA). The interview is broadcast-quality and runs about three minutes in length.

WHO CAN PLAY? - The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship is open to amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1, 2003, have been bona fide public course players and have not held privileges of any course that does not extend playing privileges to the general public, or privileges of any private club maintaining its own course and hold a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 8.4. A bona fide public course player may hold incidental privileges of a course not open to the public when such privileges are provided by (1) an educational institution at which he is a student, or (2) a federal armed service of which he is member, or (3) an industry by which he is employed.

THE FIELD - The starting field consists of 156 players.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY - Monday, July 14: First round, stroke play (18 holes. Tuesday, July 15: Second round, stroke play (18 holes). After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers, who will advance to match play. Wednesday, July 16: First round, match play (18 holes). Thursday, July 17: Second round, match play (18 holes) at approximately 7:30 a.m., Third round, match play (18 holes) at approximately 12:30 p.m.. Friday, July 18: Quarterfinals, match play (18 holes) at approxmiately 7:30 a.m., Semifinals, match play (18 holes) at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 19: Final, match play (36 holes) with round 1 beginning at approximately 7:30 a.m and round 2 at noon.

EXEMPTIONS - A total of 11 players are exempt from qualifying for the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. Following are the exemptions (from qualifying) categories:

• Amateur Public Links champions of the last 10 years (1993-2002) - Ryan Moore (2002), Chez Reavie (2001), Guy Yamamoto (1994)
• Amateur Public Links runners-up from last three years (2000-2002) - Danny Green (2001)
• Semifinalists of the Amateur Public Links from the last two years (2001-2002) -- 2001 Alan Hill, of Spring Branch, Texas, and Adam Fuchs, of Plainview, N.Y. 2002 -- Casey Lubahn, of East Lansing, Mich., Brady Stockton, of San Ramon, Calif.
• Quarterfinalists from the 2002 Amateur Public Links - Wren Fowler, of Thomson, Ga., Casey Lubahn, of East Lansing, Mich., Brady Stockton, of San Ramon, Calif., Chris Stroud, of Groves, Texas,
• Qualifiers for the 2003 U.S. Open, if otherwise eligible
• Runners-up of the U.S. Amateur the last two years (2001-2002)
• Semifinalists from the 2002 U.S. Amateur
• Winners of the 2001 and 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur
• Runner-up of the 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur
• Winners of the 2001 and 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur - Henry Liaw (2001)
• Runner-up of the 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur
• Finalists from the 2002 USGA Senior Amateur
• Winners of the British Amateur the last five years (1999-2003)
• USA Team Members of the 1999 and 2001 USA and GB&I Walker Cup team - Danny Green (2001)
• USA Team Members of the 2000 and 2002 USA World Amateur Team
• Low amateur from the 2003 U.S. Senior Open
• Special exemptions selected by the USGA.

Five USGA Champions are exempt: the defending champion, Ryan Moore, of Puyallup, Wash., Danny Green, of Jackson, Tenn. (1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Henry Liaw, of Rowland Heights, Calif. (2001 U.S. Junior Amateur), Chez Reavie, of Phoenix, Ariz. (2001 U.S. Amateur Public Links) and Guy Yamamoto, of Waipahu, Hawaii (1994 U.S. Amateur Public Links)

ENTRIES - The USGA accepted 5,001 entries for the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2003. Entries closed on May 28. The record for entries was set in 1998 with 6,300.

QUALIFYING: Sectional qualifying (36 holes) will be conducted at 70 sites around the nation from June 14-22. Blue Heron Pines will conduct an Amateur Public Links qualifier on June 17-18.

WHAT DOES THE CHAMPION RECEIVE? - A gold medal and custody of the James D. Standish Jr. Cup for the ensuing year. The runner-up receives a silver medal; the other semifinalists receive bronze medals. The qualifying medalist also receives a bronze medal.

• An exemption from local qualifying at the next three U.S. Open Championships, if still an amateur
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next two U.S. Senior Open Championships, if otherwise eligible
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next 10 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships, if otherwise eligible.
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next U.S. Amateur Championship.
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, if otherwise eligible.
• Historically, an invitation to compete in the next Masters Tournament, if still an amateur.

FREE FOR ALL - The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship is free and open to the public. There will be no charge for parking.

HISTORY - The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship has been an unqualified success since its inception in 1922, giving exposure to many public-course players who otherwise might not have an opportunity to compete in a national championship.

The championship's prime mover was James D. Standish Jr., of Detroit, who convinced his colleagues on the 1922 USGA Executive Committee that the time was right for such a grass-roots competition. Standish pointed to the public-course golfer, whose ranks were swelling following World War I, and to the growing number of municipal and daily-fee courses in America.

The first championship was conducted at the Ottawa Park Course in Toledo, Ohio. The USGA had no way of knowing how many players to expect, but a satisfying 140 entries were received. Less than half that number wore golf shoes. The first champion was Eddie Held of St. Louis, who joined a private club soon after his victory and thus became ineligible to defend his title in 1923.

In 1923, the first team championship was conducted at the same time as the individual competition. East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., was selected as the site, causing a great deal of excitement in the nation's capital. President Warren G. Harding, a golf enthusiast, donated the team trophy. Harding wanted to enter the championship himself, but time didn't permit, and besides, he was a member of at least one private club, which would preclude his entry.

That those earliest championships drew upward of 18 teams representing cities from coast to coast, was a tribute to the spread of public-course golf in America. From the initial entry of 140 players, the yearly annual entry has surged to as many as 6,000 competitors or more.

The championship has also been a springboard for the likes of U.S. Open champions Ed Furgol, Tommy Bolt, and Ken Venturi; British Open champion Tony Lema; PGA champions Dave Marr and Bobby Nichols; and Masters winner George Archer. In 1959, it produced the first African-American winner of a USGA championship in William A. Wright, who later became a teacher.

PAST CHAMPIONS - Past champions include noted teaching professional Lester Bolstad (1926), South Florida golf administrator Frank Strafaci (1935), Walker Cup player Smiley Quick (1946), PGA Tour winner Dan Sikes Jr. (1958), Walker Cup player Richard H. Sikes (1961, 1962), PGA Tour winner Jodie Mudd (1980, 1981), and PGA Tour winner Billy Mayfair (1986).

2002 IN REVIEW - Ryan Moore, 19, of Puyallup, Wash., a freshman at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, eased to a 10-and-9 win over Lee Williamson, 23, of Crawfordsville, Ind. and the Big 10 Player of the Year at the Orchards Golf Club in Washington, Mich. "I would have hated to play me today," Moore said of his play in the 36-hole final that included 10 birdies in the first 18 holes. Moore's caddie was an auto assembly line worker, who was a spectator who noticed Moore did not have one. Moore was the runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur.

IN DEFENSE: Moore will attempt to become fifth APL champion to successfully defend his title. The four who have completed that feat are: Carl Kauffman (1927-29), Richard Sikes (1961-62), Jodie Mudd (1980-81) and Billy Tuten (1982-83).

THE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Each qualifying section that has at least two players eligible for the individual championship may be represented by one team in the team championship. The team championship consists of 36 holes stroke play, 18 holes on Monday, July 14, and 18 holes on Tuesday, July 15. In each 18-hole round, the total of the two scores by players of each team constitutes the team score for that round. The champion is the team with the lowest such total score for 36 holes. Any tie will be settled by a hole-by-hole playoff. The winning team receives custody of the Hon. Warren G. Harding Cup for the ensuing year, and members of the team receive silver medals.

NEW JERSEY AND THE USGA - This will be the 51st championship conducted by the United States Golf Association in New Jersey. Past championships in the state include eight U.S. Opens, four Women's Opens, seven Amateurs, eight Women's Amateurs, one Senior Open, one Curtis Cup and one Walker Cup. New Jersey stands fifth on the list of states hosting USGA championships.

This is the third U.S. Amateur Public Links championship in New Jersey. The other two were held at Flanders Valley Golf Course in Flanders (1973) and Hominy Hill Golf Club in Colts Neck (1983). The only USGA championships never played in New Jersey are the Mid-Amateur, Women's Mid-Amateur and the State Team Championships.

BLUE HERON PINES EAST COURSE HOLE BY HOLE: The East Course will play at 7,127 yards and par 35-36-71:

Holes 1-9, 3,497 yards, par 35

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Par	4	4	4	5	3	4	3	4	4
Yards	403	435	468	562	211	451	160	364	443

Holes 10-18, 3,630 yards, par 36

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	4	5	3	4	5	4	3	4
Yards	425	470	534	182	461	519	338	230	471

FUTURE U.S. APL SITES - The U.S. Amateur Public Links will be played at Rush Creek G.C. in Maple Grove, Minn., from July 12-17, 2004; at Shaker Run G.C. in Lebanon Ohio, from July 11-16, 2005; and at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton, Wash., from July 10-15, 2006.

MEDIA STAFF - The USGA's media relations representative during the championship is Pete Kowalski. He will be on site July 12. The Media Center phone number is (609) 965-2459 and the fax number is (609) 965-2753. Prior to the championship he can be reached at (908) 234-2300 x1322.