The Cincinnati sectional qualifier for the 76th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be June 7-8 at Glenview Golf Course, tournament chairman James Cissell announced. Last year Cincinnati had one of the largest fields of the 69 qualifying sites for the 36-hole stroke-play event and sent four players to the championship.

        The U.S. Publinx is July 9-14 at Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas. The national winner, if still an amateur, receives an invitation to the 2002 Masters, an exemption from local qualifying at the next U.S. Open Championship, an exemption from sectional qualifying at the next 10 U.S. Publinx Championships, an exemption from sectional qualifying at the next U.S. Amateur Championship and an exemption from sectional qualifying at the next U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

        Entries may be submitted at www.usga.org. Applications accompanied by the entry fee of $30 must be filed on USGA forms by 5p.m. Wednesday with the USGA, U.S. Amateur Public Links, P.O. Box 221, Far Hills, N.J., 07931-0223.

        LOCAL U.S. OPEN QUALIFIER: Brett Wetterich (Oak Hills), who played on the PGA Tour last year, and Miami University product and former Ohio Amateur champion Brian Fogt, a regular on the Buy.com Tour, head a field of 146 amateurs and pros in the U.S. Open local qualifier Monday at Maketewah Country Club.

        Ten qualifiers will advance to the sectionals.

        Wetterich, 27, a former Enquirer Prep Golfer of the Year, is playing the PGA Tour this season under a special medical extension because of a left wrist injury suffered last June. He needed to earn $383,901 in the first 20 events to retain exempt status. During his rookie PGA Tour season, Wetterich made eight starts, and the only cut he made resulted in a tie for 63rd at the Compaq Classic in New Orleans. His $7,174 earnings placed him 242nd on the 2000 PGA Tour money list.

        Wetterich qualified for the 1998 U.S. Open at the Olympia Club near San Francisco but missed the cut. Fogt, a Dayton native, has qualified for the U.S. Open three times and missed the cut each time.

        Tee times for U.S. Open qualifier

        CHIP SHOTS: First-year pro Jim Herman (St. Xavier and UC), who won the 2000 Met Amateur, made his first cut at the NGA/Hooters Tour event this week at Cobblestone Golf Course in Kendalville, Ind. Veteran club pro Paul Hobart missed the cut ... Cincinnatian Wes Homan won the FCWT Spartan Junior Shootout for boys 15-17 with an even-par 142 (69-73) at Forest Akers West Course in Lansing, Mich. ... Andrew Rindfleisch of West Chester finished tied for ninth with 72-79-151 at the FCWT Deacon Junior Challenge at Tanglewood Golf Course in Clemmons, N.C. ... Top local amateurs Robert Gerwin (79-77-77-233) and Carl Tuke Jr. (83-80-77-240) finished tied for seventh and tied for 18th at the Hugh Wilson Invitational at famed Merion, Pa.

        NKGA SCHEDULE: The Northern Kentucky Golf Association schedule: June 4-5 — Junior Amateur at Fort Mitchell; July 9-12 — Men's Amateur at Twin Oaks; Aug. 18-19 — Mid-Amateur at Devou Park; Sept. 8-9 — Men's Team Championship at A.J. Jolly; Sept. 24-25 — Senior Amateur at Summit Hills; Oct. 4 — Northern Kentucky Invitational at Highland.

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