PAR AND YARDAGE: Laurel Hill Golf Club will be set up at 7,022 yards and will play to a par of 35-35—70. (Note: yardages subject to change)

LAUREL HILL GOLF CLUB HOLE BY HOLE:                      

WHO CAN ENTER: The championship is open to amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1 of the current year, have been bona fide public-course players and who hold a USGA Handicap Index^® not exceeding 4.4.

ENTRIES: A total of 3,020 entries were accepted for the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links, 14 fewer than 2012. The record of 6,300 was set in 1998. Entries closed on May 22.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING: Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes, will be held between June 5-24 at 71 sites around the country. 

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD: The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 64 scorers, after which six rounds of match play will be contested to determine the champion. Practice rounds will be held July 13-14.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY         
Monday, July 15 – First round, stroke play
Tuesday, July 16 – Second round, stroke play
Wednesday, July 17 – First round, match play
Thursday, July 18 – Second and third rounds, match play
Friday, July 19 – Quarterfinals and semifinals, match play
Saturday, July 20 – Championship final, match play (36 holes)

2012 CHAMPION: T.J. Vogel, 21, of Miami, produced a near-historic performance in defeating Kevin Aylwin, 12 and 10, in the 36-hole championship match conducted on the 7,670-yard, par-71 Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, Utah.

Vogel’s victory was the second-largest in APL history. In the championship match of the 1985 APL, Jim Sorenson defeated Jay Cooper, 12 and 11, at Wailua Golf Course in Lihue, Hawaii. Vogel won the first two holes and stretched his lead to 8 up with wins at holes 11, 12 and 13. In all, Vogel made eight birdies in the morning round, including six on his last seven holes, to head to lunch with a 10-up lead. From there, he cruised home for the title.

For more details, visit: http://www.usga.org/ChampEventArticle.aspx?id=21474848565.

EXEMPT PLAYERS: A total of 11 players are fully exempt from qualifying based on past performances in USGA or other elite amateur competitions, or by being among the top 75 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of the close of entries. Here are those players:

Kyle Beversdorf (2012 APL semifinalist)
Zac Blair (Top 75 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
James Erkenbeck (Top 75 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Talor Gooch (Top 75 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Michael Kim (Top 75 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Paul McConnell (2012 APL quarterfinalist)
Garrett Rank (2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up)
Alberto Sanchez (2012 APL quarterfinalist)
Robby Shelton IV (Top 75 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Scott Strohmeyer (Top 75 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Julio Vegas (Low eight individual scorer at 2012 World Amateur Team Championship)

WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES
Exemption from qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links
Exemptions from qualifying for the next two U.S. Amateurs
Exemptions from qualifying for the next two U.S. Mid-Amateurs, if age-eligible
Exemptions from qualifying for the next two USGA Senior Amateurs, if age-eligible
Exemptions from local qualifying for the next three U.S. Opens, provided he is still an amateur
A likely invitation to the next Masters Tournament

TICKETS: Admission to the APL is free and spectators are encouraged to attend.

HISTORY: This is the 88th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. The 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.

Professional major championship winners who have competed in the APL include U.S. Open champions Tommy Bolt, Ed Furgol, David Graham and Ken Venturi; Masters champions George Archer and Trevor Immelman; British Open champions Ben Curtis and Tony Lema; and PGA Championship winners Rich Beem, Walter Burkemo, Bob Hamilton, Dave Marr and Bobby Nichols.

Billy Mayfair, two-time champion Ryan Moore and Colt Knost are the only players to have captured the U.S. Amateur and APL titles, the latter two doing it in the same year. Carl Kauffmann is the only player to have won the APL three times, doing so in consecutive years from 1927-29. Seven others have won it twice.

VIRGINIA AND THE USGA: The 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links will be the 20th USGA championship to be conducted in Virginia. It will also be the first APL ever held in the state. This will also be the first USGA championship conducted at Laurel Hill Golf Club.

FUTURE SITES                    
The 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links is scheduled for Sand Creek Station Golf Club in Newton, Kan., from July 14-19. It will be the last APL conducted as the USGA is retiring the championship following the 2014 event.

PHOTO MEDIA SERVICE: The USGA will offer daily complimentary high-resolution photographs during the championship (Monday-Saturday) for news use only. For more information and to register, contact the USGA’s photo archive department at photorequests@usga.org.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS             
USGA Communications Department – (908) 234-2300
APL Media Center – TBD

USGA CONTACTS: Michael Trostel and Hunki Yun will be the USGA media representatives on site at Laurel Hill. Trostel can be reached at (908) 234-2300 x1168 or via email at mtrostel@usga.org. Yun can be reached at (908) 234-2300 x1093 or via email at hyun@usga.org. Media-specific information can be found at http://www.usga.org/MC_Home.aspx.