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NORTON - Although he grew up in Plainville and played his early golf in New England, Jim Renner has gotten accustomed to Florida.

After shooting a 1-under par 71 to best a field of 97 golfers in a local qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open, Renner had just one thought on Monday as he left the TPC Boston in Norton.

"I hate the cold weather," he said.

He may hate it, but Renner, who has been playing mini-tours since graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Florida, did a superb job of overcoming it. Despite near-record-cold mid-40 temperatures and wind gusts up to 30 mph, Renner's performance - the day's only sub-par round - allowed him to move on to a sectional tournament where he will be competing against PGA Tour pros and other top players for about 70 spots in the U.S. Open, to be held June 12-15 at Torrey Pines Country Club in San Diego.

The USGA holds more than 100 local qualifiers from Maine to Hawaii each May to weed a field of nearly 10,000 golfers - all of whom must have a handicap of 1.4 or less - to about 70. Those 70, along with about 80 of the world's top players, will compete in one of the sport's four major tournaments, the one usually considered golf's toughest test. Monday was also just the second time Renner had played TPC Boston since it underwent a redesign last year, converting a long modern course into one with a retro look and demanding a wider variety of shots. A practice round on Sunday familiarized him with the course, but conditions - sunny skies and near 70-degree temperatures - were nothing like Monday.

"The course played a lot different (Monday) than it did (Sunday), that's for sure," he said.

Renner considered his round of 71 a matter of survival against a good field on a very difficult day.

"I hit it pretty well, and when I missed a green, I got it up and down or made a putt," said the 24-year-old graduate of Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro. "But, man, it was cold."

Renner, a three-time Attleboro Area Golf Association Open winner and holder of the course record at Highland Country Club in Attleboro, said his proudest accomplishment on Monday was limiting his errors to just three bogeys.

"I'm just glad I didn't make any big mistakes," he said.

Besides Renner, three other local golfers took part in Monday's qualifier.

Keith Allcock, the 1995 AAGA Open champion and pro at Firefly Country Club in Seekonk, shot a 7-over 79 to finish five shots above the cut. "The golf course won today," Allcock said after posting his score.

Tom Johnson, who recently moved from Rhode Island to Plainville and frequently competes in tournaments on Cape Cod, shot an 8-over 80.

Matthew Byrne of Norfolk was in the day's last group but withdrew due to injury. MIKE KIRBY can be reached at 508-236-0344 or at mkirby@thesunchronicle.com.