By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

If nothing else, Bob Leach can guarantee that every man who entered this year's Northern Kentucky Men's Amateur golf tournament will get his money's worth.

The four-day tournament, which is scheduled to get under way Monday at Flagg Springs Golf Course in California, Ky., traditionally opens with 18 holes of medal play that eliminates all but the top 96 golfers, who then are split into three flights based on their scores. But only 96 men paid the $90 entry fee to register for this year's tournament, which guarantees that everybody who pays, plays.

"This is a small field," said Leach, who runs the tournament on behalf of the Northern Kentucky Golfers Association. "Normally, we have twice that many. Last year, we had 180."

Leach, who has been tournament director for almost a decade, speculated that the isolated location of this year's site was a reason for the drop in entries. Flagg Springs is located off the Double-A Highway, 16 miles south of the Wilder, Ky., interchange with I-275.

"It's a pretty good drive out there," Leach said. "I'd like it to be a little bit closer, but it's nice out there. You're out there with the bees and birds and deer."

After Monday's medal play, golfers will square off for two days of match play that will leave eight golfers in each of the three flights eligible for Thursday's 36 holes of medal play to determine the champions in each flight. The defending champion traditionally earns an automatic berth in the championship flight for the first day of match play.

Last year, Rob Clarke, the lowest-seeded golfer in the championship flight, outlasted Jeff Floyd and sank a 6-foot birdie putt on the 36th hole to capture the championship for the first time in his 12 years of entering the tournament.

"It was kind of a flukish thing that he even wound up as the 32nd seed," Leach recalled. "He shot a 79, and he was the last 79, so he came in as the 32nd seed. Then he wound up being the champion. That was the first time the 32nd seed had ever won. I've seen guys who were the 28th seed wind up being the winner. A guy can have one day as a super day."

Flagg Springs is serving as the tournament site for the first time. The course measures 6,120 yards. "It's not long," Leach said. "It's not easy, but it's not what I'd call real difficult, either. It has some difficult holes and some short holes. It's hilly. The back side is a little more difficult to play than the front. They've got some tough holes."

At a glance

What: Northern Kentucky Men's Amateur golf tournament.

When: Monday through Thursday.

Where: Flagg Springs Golf Course, 46 Smith Road, California, Ky.

Defending champion: Rob Clarke.

Format: Monday: 18 holes of stroke play to establish three flights of 32 golfers each; Tuesday-Wednesday: match play to eliminate 24 golfers in each flight; Thursday: 36 holes of stroke play to determine champion in each flight.

Directions: From Interstate 275, south on Double-A Highway (Kentucky 9) 16 miles to Kentucky 735; left (east) on 735 to course.