University of Evansville golfer Griffin Wood gets to experience the beautiful and challenging Bandon Dunes Resort in Bandon, Ore. next month, thanks to his play last weekend at the Amateur Public Links Sectional.

Wood qualified for the USGA's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship for the second year in a row by winning the APL Sectional on Sunday at Cambridge Golf Course in Evansville with a 36-hole score of 145.   He defeated Ball State's Tyler Merkel by one stroke and UE teammate Andrew Luo by three.

Wood will join approximately 150 of the nation's best amateurs June 27 to July 2 at Bandon Dunes, where they will play the Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald courses.  Bandon Trails opened in 2005 and Old Macdonald opened last year.  Bandon Dunes Resort includes four world-acclaimed golf courses, and is located on the Pacific coast in southern Oregon.

Wood, a rising senior at the University of Evansville, is on target to produce UE's third lowest career stroke average since 1990.  He was UE's number two man overall with a 74.30 average in 2010-11, and was number one by a wide margin in the spring with a 73.92 average.  Wood finished ninth out of 45 golfers at the MVC Championship (78-74-78=230) in April, and has now finished 20th, 16th and 9th in his three MVC tournaments.