golfers well known in Bermuda who have qualified for next week's US Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York.

Forty eight year-old Quigley, who won the Belmont event in 1988, 1989 and 1990 and still shares the tournament record of 266 with Canada's Ian Doig, will make his third appearance in the Open after 30 qualifying attempts.

His best Open finish was a tie for 41st in 1979 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

A club pro from Rehoboth in Massachussets, Quigley led the field in a section qualifying event in Purchase, New York this week when he fired rounds of 67 and 65 for a 132 total which was a whopping six shots lower than his nearest rivals, Jeff Julian of Vermont and Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Massachusetts.

"For a club pro to make two majors in one year, that's as good as it gets,'' said Quigley, who also has played in the PGA Championship. "I'm thrilled to death.'' Only eight players from the Purchase event, which was played on two courses -- Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club -- booked their Open ticket.

And among them was another Belmont Invitational regular, Fran Marello.

The Plymouth, Connecticut pro, who has become a fixture at Belmont in recent years, carded rounds of 73 and 67 which earned him the fifth qualifying spot.

Meanwhile, in Rockville, Maryland at the Woodmont Country Club, John Mahaffey, the former PGA champion who made his first appearance in the Bermuda Open last October, was among 28 players who qualified.

Mahaffey, from Houston, Texas, returned a 138 total with rounds of 70 and 68.

At the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida, Tampa's D.J.Holland who competed in Bermuda last year, was one of seven to confirm their place in the Open and at the Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, Washington, Canada's Craig Marseilles who was a contender in last year's Bermuda Open, and has played on the Island several times, grabbed one of just three qualifying spots.

Among the better known pros who this week had to earn a spot in 156-strong Open field were Brett Ogle, Mike Hulbert, Blaine McCallister and Fred Funk.

US Open runner-up Mike Donald and five-time PGA Tour winner Ken Green, a former college room-mate of Bermuda's Kim Swan, both failed to qualify at Purchase.

And former Masters champion Craig Stadler, and touring pros Mike Reid, Jesper Parnevik, Joey Sindelar and Bobby Wadkins all failed to qualify in regional tournaments.

Shinnecock Hills is hosting the Open for the third time -- it was staged there in 1896 and in 1986, when Raymond Floyd won.

DANA QUIGLEY -- `I'm thrilled to death'