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DAHLGREEN U.S. PUBLINX QUALIFIER SCORES

MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College men's golf head coach Ted Vickerman will be among 156 players competing at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in July, after winning one of the tournament's sectional qualifying meets last week.

Vickerman won the sectional, held last Wednesday (6/24) at Dahlgreen Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., with a two-round, 36-hole total of 148 (74-74, +6). It was one of 74 sectionals held throughout the country in June, in advance of the July national championship.

The 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be held July 13-18 at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club, on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. It's one of 13 national championships held by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

A total of 156 players make up the tournament field. Two rounds of stroke play cut the field to 64 players, which compete in six rounds of head-to-head match play. The tournament is open to amateur golfers who compete primarily at public courses, and do not have playing privileges at golf clubs not open to the general public.

"Looking back on the qualifier, I was very proud of myself that I was able to play the last three holes at 1-under-par," Vickerman said. "Standing on the 16th tee box, I thought to myself that if I can go 1-under-par, I will have a chance. I hit my tee shot under a pine tree on the 16th hole, then pitched out to about 90 yards and made the putt to save par. The next hole is a long 477-yard par-4. I hit two quality shots just short of the green. Then I chipped it up to a foot and tapped it in for par.

"I hit my drive on 18th just into the left rough and had about 165 yards into the green. In order to shoot at the flag, I had to hit a high draw around a large oak tree. I made the perfect swing and watched the ball curve high around the tree towards the pin. I could not see it land because the green was up a hill. The USGA officials said it almost went in the cup on the second bounce. The birdie putt was not easy. It broke about three feet. I put a great stroke on the putt and watched the putt drop into the cup with perfect speed. At that moment I realized that I might have done something great."

Vickerman, a 2002 Augsburg alumnus, completed his fourth season as Augsburg's men's golf coach in 2008-09. Under Vickerman's leadership, the Auggies have finished among the top three teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships three times in his four years as coach (Augsburg has finished fifth or better at the MIAC championships 14 of the last 15 seasons). This season, Augsburg finished third at the MIAC meet and recorded a team stroke average of 315.1, with an 80-63 record (.559) against opponents during the season.

A four-year veteran of Augsburg's men's golf program (1999-2002), Vickerman compiled a 78.86 career stroke average in his four seasons (57 rounds) at Augsburg, including a career-best 76.67 average in the fall half of 2002-03 (Vickerman graduated in December 2002). He earned All-MIAC honors with a fifth-place finish at the MIAC championships in 2001, while finishing 18th in the conference meet in 2002.