2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship Fact Sheet
Sept. 10-15, 2005
The Honors Course, Chattanooga, Tenn.

PAR AND YARDAGE – The Honors Course will be set up at 7,037 yards and par is 36-36—72. Black Creek Club, which will be used for stroke play during the championship's first two days, will play at 6,944 yards and par 36-36—72.

ARCHITECT AT THE COURSE – The Honors Course was designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1983. Black Creek Club was designed by Brian Silva and opened in 2000.

WHO CAN PLAY – Open to amateur golfers who will have reached their 25^th birthday on or before Sept. 10, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 3.4.

ENTRIES – The USGA accepted 4,130 entries for the 2005 championship. The record of 5,271 entries was set in 1997.

QUALIFYING – Sectional qualifying for the U.S. Mid-Amateur was conducted from Aug. 3-15 at 68 sites.

THE FIELD – The starting field will consist of 264 golfers. Each golfer will play a single round on each of the two golf courses before the field is trimmed to the low 64 scorers, who will advance to match play.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY –

• Saturday (Sept. 10 ) – Starting at 7:45 a.m., first round, stroke play (18 holes)
• Sunday (Sept. 11) – Starting at 7:45 a.m., second round, stroke play (18 holes). After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers, who advance to match play.
• Monday (Sept. 12) – Starting at 9 a.m., first round, match play (18 holes)
• Tuesday (Sept. 13) – Starting at 8 a.m., second round, match play (18 holes); starting at 1:15 p.m., third round, match play (18 holes)
• Wednesday (Sept. 14) – Starting at 8 a.m., quarterfinals, match play (18 holes); starting at 1 p.m., semifinals, match play (18 holes)
• Thursday (Sept. 15) – Starting at 8 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., final, match play (36 holes)

ADMISSION – Admission is free. Tickets are not needed for this USGA championship and spectators are encouraged to attend.

THE 2004 CHAMPIONSHIP – Austin Eaton III, 35, of New London, N.H., defeated Josh Dennis, 27, of Birmingham, Ala., 1 up, to win the 24th U.S. Mid-Amateur, played at the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.

The two competitors were all square going to the 36th hole, a par 4 measuring 470 yards. Dennis, playing first, pushed his drive right into a lateral water hazard, while Eaton found the fairway. Faced with a 205-yard approach, Eaton choked down on a 4-iron and hit a well-placed shot 25 feet slightly above the flagstick.

Following a drop, Dennis came up just short of the green with his third shot. His ensuing chip shot stopped 10 feet short. Eaton lagged his birdie putt to 2 feet and when Dennis failed to hole his bogey putt, he conceded the match.

"It's pretty amazing," said Eaton of winning his first USGA championship. "When I knelt out there next to the trophy on the 18th green, it kind of hit me then that it's my trophy this year. It's pretty cool."

FOR THE WINNER – The champion receives:

• A gold medal, and custody of the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy for the ensuing year.
• An exemption from local qualifying at the next U.S. Open, if still an amateur.
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next U.S. Amateur, if still an amateur.
• A 10-year exemption for the Mid-Amateur.
• A probable invitation to compete in the next Masters Tournament, if still an amateur.
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, if eligible.
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the next Senior Amateur, if eligible.

THE TROPHY – The Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Mid-Amateur Trophy was presented in 1981 by the Atlanta Athletic Club and the Georgia State Golf Association. The most famous of all amateurs, Jones won five U.S. Amateur and four U.S. Open titles for a total of nine USGA championships, more than any golfer.

THE USGA AND THE HONORS COURSE – This will be the third USGA championship conducted at The Honors Course. The club previously hosted the 1991 U.S. Amateur and the 1994 Curtis Cup Match.

THE USGA AND TENNESSEE – This will be the USGA's 11^th visit to Tennessee. In addition to the two previous visits to The Honors Course, the state has hosted seven other USGA championships. The first USGA championship to be held in Tennessee was the 1937 U.S. Women's Amateur, held at Memphis Country Club, which later hosted the 1948 U.S. Amateur and the 1979 Women's Amateur. Richland Country Club in Nashville hosted the 1975 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 1980 U.S. Women's Open. Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville hosted the 1955 USGA Senior Amateur, and the Legends Club of Tennessee in Franklin hosted the U.S. Girls Junior. Most recently, Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville hosted the 2004 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.

THE U.S. MID-AMATEUR AND TENNESSEE – The U.S. Mid-Amateur has yet to visit Tennessee, but two of the championship's past winners are residents of the state: Jackson's Danny Green, who won the 1999 championship, and Germantown's Tim Jackson, the 1994 and 2001 winner.

THE HONORS COURSE & BLACK CREEK CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE HOLE BY HOLE:

THE HONORS COURSE – 7,037 yards, par 72

BLACK CREEK GOLF CLUB – 6,944 yards, par 72

EXEMPTIONS TO THE 2005 U.S. MID-AM – Fifteen players, including six USGA champions, are exempt from qualifying into the championship. On that list are four former U.S. Mid-Amateur champs and two past USGA Senior Amateur winners.

• Ken Bakst, New York, N.Y. – 1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
• Josh Dennis, Birmingham, Ala. – 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist
• Austin Eaton III, New London, N.H. – 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
• Danny Green, Jackson, Tenn. – 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, 2004 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist
• Allan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas – 2003 Mid-Amateur semifinalist
• Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. – 2001 Mid-Amateur champion
• William Johnson, San Francisco, Calif. – 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist
• Trip Kuehne, Irving, Texas – 2003 USA Walker Cup team member
• Kevin Marsh, Las Vegas, Nev. – 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist
• John McClure, Austin, Tex. – 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist
• Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. – 2003 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up
• Greg Reynolds, Grand Blanc, Mich. – 2004 USGA Senior Amateur runner-up, 2005 U.S. Senior Open low amateur (also won the 2002 Senior Amateur)
• Kemp Richardson – 2003 USGA Senior Amateur champion
• Wright Waddell, Columbus, Ga. – 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist
• George Zahringer, New York, N.Y. – 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; 2003 USA Walker Cup team, 2005 U.S. Senior Open low amateur

OTHER USGA CHAMPIONS/WALKER CUPPERS IN THE FIELD – In addition to the fully exempt champions, Tim Hogarth of Northridge, Calif., the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links winner, went through sectional qualifying to make the field.

TENNESSEANS IN THE FIELD – Ten residents of the state of Tennessee will play in the 2005 Mid-Amateur. Two past winners, Jackson's Danny Green (1999) and Germantown's Tim Jackson (1994, 2001) are in the field, as are sectional qualifiers Andrew Black (Chattanooga), Trey Lewis (Hendersonville), Chris Liner (Athens), Tom Madden Jr. (Memphis), Blake Marshall (Chattanooga), Fred McCord (Germantown), Parker Smith (Morristown), and Kenny Wilson (Murfreesboro).

WELCOME BACK TO THE HONORS COURSE – Four players in the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur field also played in the 1991 U.S. Amateur at The Honors Course. Past U.S. Mid-Amateur champion George Zahringer of New York, N.Y., was fully exempt into this year's Mid-Amateur, while Chris Liner of Athens, Tenn., Kevin Miskimins of Richland, Wash., and Patrick Tallent of Vienna, Va., successfully advanced via sectional qualifying. In all, 48 participants in the 1991 U.S. Amateur submitted entries for the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

FUTURE U.S. MID-AMATEUR SITES – Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, Ariz., will host the 2006 Mid-Amateur from Sept. 9-14. The 2007 championship will be conducted at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., from Sept. 29 to Oct. 4.

MID-AM ON THE WEB – For scores, pairings, and the latest U.S. Mid-Amateur information, log on to the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org/championships/. Real-time scoring will be available via the championship web site at www.usmidam.org/results.

MEDIA CENTER – Beth Murrison and David Shefter, the media contacts for the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur, can be reached in the media center at (423) 238-0121.