There will be no excuses for late entries this year when the 69th annual Moore County Men's Amateur Championship is held.

The tournament, open to all male amateurs 16 and older, will be held at Legacy Golf Links Aug. 22-23. Even if you don't play golf, this gives you time to buy clubs, take a lesson, and have your game in shape to be a contender. Well, maybe not for the championship, but at least for one of the several flights offered.

The big question, of course, will be: Can anyone unseat last year's champion? Sherrill Britt, a former club professional, has entered the event five times since regaining his amateur status and won four times -- including the last two held at Southern Pines Golf Club and Country Club of Whispering Pines.

Ryan Fox, a banking executive from West End, has won twice, including the last one held at Legacy.

There will be three divisions in the tournament: open (16-older), senior (55-older) and super senior (65-older).

The championship is not closed to county residents, insuring a strong field from across the state. Net proceeds from the event will benefit The First Tee of the Sandhills.

For information contact Dick Wilson at 949-4675, or e-mail him at flogger@embarqmail.com.

Two-Man: The annual Gates Four Golf and Country Club Two-Man Invitational will be held Apr. 25-26 at the popular Willard Byrd-designed course in Fayetteville.

The tournament is open to male amateurs and limited to 48 teams with an entry fee of $250 per team. There will be three divisions: regular (16-49), senior (50-65) and super senior (66 and over), with each division playing from different sets of tees, according to head professional Bobby Cooke.

The entry fee includes a practice round the week of April 20-24 for cost of carts only, trophies, gift certificates and a steak cookout on Saturday. Competition is better-ball of pair. The top four places in each flight, plus the overall champions, will earn prizes.

For information, call Cooke at 425-2176.

Mid-Am Qualifiers: Three local golfers were among the 24 players to advance to the Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship in a qualifier held on Pinewild Country Club's Holly Course March 20.

John Sandifer, of Winston-Salem, led the scoring with a 2-under-par 69, followed by Paul Tucker, of Pageland, S.C., and Greg Earnhardt, of Greensboro, with 70.

David Allen, of Whispering Pines, Frank McBrayer and Jason Cox, of West End, tied for 17th with 76. Glen Subin (80) and Carter Parry (82), failed to advance.

The championship will be held at Treyburn Country Club in Durham April 17-19.

Senior Open: Professional Gary Troyan, of York, S.C., shot 73-67 -- 140 to edge Bob Boyd, of Wilmington, by a shot in the E-Z-Go Old North State Senior Open held last week.

Gary Strickfaden, of Pinehurst, tied for second overall with Garland Yates, of Asheboro, at 142. They shared low amateur honors. Chip Wells, head professional at Scotch Meadows Country Club in Laurinburg was at 148, while Ken Eichele, a Pinehurst amateur, shot 149. Spike Smith, of Pinehurst, was at 150.

John Green, of Ocean Isle Beach, was low in the super senior division with 144. Chuck Daley, of Whispering Pines, was fifth with 149.

Herb Conway and Dick Wilson, of Whispering Pines, tied for ninth with 155. Murray Stern, of Pinehurst, shot 159. John Gerwig, of Whispering Pines, was at 164; James Dockery, of Southern Pines, 171; and Russell French, of Pinehurst, 173.

eGolf Amateur: Damp fairways and tough greens kept scores high in the eGolf Amateur Golf Tour event held at Falls Village Golf Club in Durham.

James Goin, of Lexington, and Brad Morris, of Four Oaks, each shot 79 to win flights A and B, respectively -- the only two players in the field to break 80.

Drew Davis, of Pinehurst, shot 84 to claim fifth in the A flight.

Harris Teeter: Eric Ardery, of Durham, shot 72 to win flight A in the Harris Teeter Senior Amateur event held at River Ridge Golf Club in Raleigh.

Tom Kubla, of Pinehurst, shot 87 to tie for second in Flight B.

Rex Open: The Nationwide Tour's Rex Hospital Open, Rex Healthcare's premiere charity golf tournament, will take place May 24-31 at TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh.

Volunteers play a key role in the success of this fundraising event, and hundreds will be needed to support a full roster of activities this year.

The scheduled events are Sunday, May 24 The Rex Hospital Open Junior Invitational; Tuesday, Grand Champions Pro-Am at Hasentree Golf Club; Wednesday, The Rex Hospital Open Official Pro-Am; ThursdaySunday, Nationwide Tour's Rex Hospital Open.

Funds raised from the event support programs and services at Rex Healthcare.

Over the past 21 years, the event has generated more than $5.2 million to support community-based programs such as mobile mammography, heart and vascular mobile diagnostics, special care nursery renovations, patient education programs and improvements to Rex Cancer Center.

The event is in need of volunteers. Nearly 400 are required. For $40, volunteers receive a host of benefits including a golf shirt and hat, free event passes and meals while on-site, along with the opportunity to experience a premier sporting event up close.

For information, visit the Web site at rexhealth.com.