Stan Stopa, of New Orleans, La., won the Championship by one stroke over Gary Hitch, of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Philip T. Reichel, Minneapolis, Minn., with a 72-hole total of 294, 10 over par. The Championship was held at the Flanders Valley Golf Course, Flanders, N.J.

It was the first Public Links Championship held in New Jersey. Stopa started poorly, shooting 76-76 in the first two rounds and was nine strokes behind Reichel, who led after 36 holes with 143. Play was stopped twice during the third round because of severe electrical storms, with high winds and driving rain. Here were delays of 35 and 90 minutes, but the field finally completed the day's round.

Reichel till led with 217 for 54 holes after a round of 74, but Stopa gained four strokes on Reichel with 70, and with 18 holes to play, he was five strokes behind. After 17 holes of the final round, Reichel, Hitch, and Stopa were tied. Reichel three-putted the 17th, Hitch bogied the 18th, and when Stopa made two steady pars, the Championship was his.

In the Team Championship, Seattle, Wash., won the Warren G. Harding Trophy, defeating Detroit in a playoff. The entry was 3,653, the largest for any USGA Championship in 1973.