OAKLAND — Red numbers were hard to come by Tuesday at Waterville Country Club, and a steadily increasing wind was a big part of it.
Many golfers noted that the course itself was in good shape for Day 1 of the 96th Maine Amateur Championship, but a prevailing 15- to 20-mile per hour wind out of the south-southwest provided an added challenge.
“It wasn’t blowing that much on the front,” said tournament veteran Gary Manoogian, who teed off at 9 a.m. and finished with a 5-over-par 75. “It picked up in the afternoon.”
As the wind increased, club selection became that much more important according to three-time Maine Amateur champ Ricky Jones.
“It’s hard to pull a club,” Jones said. “The wind was swirling and it’s hard to judge which club and how much the wind is going to hold it, especially on these greens where you want to be short of the hole.”
Jones had his toughest stretch in the first five holes, yet it was the back nine where the majority of players stumbled — particular on No. 17.
“The wind is coming from the right so you have to hit like a low slice to hit a good tee shot really,” defending champ Andrew Slattery said of the 380-yard, dogleg-right par 4. “It doesn’t fit (my game). I hit it straight and I had some tree problems.”
Slattery carded a double bogey on the hole and was far from the only one to have a rough go of it on No. 17. The field produced an average score of 4.73 on the par 4, which saw 62 bogeys, 16 double bogeys, two triples and a quad throughout the course of the day.
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After missing out on last year’s Maine Amateur due to personal reasons, it was a strong return for Mark Plummer, who has won the event a record 13 times in the past.
“This is more my style of course,” Plummer said. “The Woodlands is a little long, a little tough for me. That was probably a good year to sit out.”
Plummer fared the best of the four former Maine Amateur champions in the field. Jones carded a 1-over-par 71 after notching three birdies and four bogeys.
Slattery, who won his first Maine Amateur last summer, was 1-under with three holes to play, but bogeyed No. 16 and double bogeyed No. 17 to finish the opening round at 2-over.
Ron Brown Jr., meanwhile, finished at 6-over par, but was one of just eight golfers to get a birdie on No. 17. He held off Plummer in both 1975 and 1999 for his two championships.
While there is still plenty of golf left to play, it seems very possible that there could be a different champion for the fourth straight year. Ryan Gay, who won in back-to-back years from 2010-11, is the only player to win consecutive titles in the past decade.
“It’s just tough. You have a lot of good players and you’re playing a lot of different golf courses,” Jones said. “Playing The Woodlands last year and then coming here this year, they’re two totally different golf courses.
“Last year was more of a keep it in play and a little bit longer, this one is a little bit shorter so it brings the wedge game in a little more.”
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In addition to some well-established former champions, the field of 132 also featured 15 golfers in the 18-and-under crowd attempting to make their mark.
Reese McFarlane, a 2015 graduate of Cape Elizabeth High School, had the lowest round amongst the group with a 3-over-par 73. He was closely followed by Maine Central Institute’s Gavin Dugas with a 74.
The field’s youngest competitor, 13-year-old Caleb Manuel, of Topsham, shot a 76, as did recent Cheverus grad Chris Billings, also of Topsham.
Bangor rising senior Drew Powell, 2014 Maranacook grad Luke Ruffing and 15-year-old Ryan Collins each shot 77, while Will Kannegieser, a recent graduate of Gould Academy from Minot, posted a 78.
For many of the young golfers on hand, though, just making the cut would be an accomplishment given the significant disparity in experience between them and the majority of the field.
“I’d love to make the cut,” Eric Dugas, a rising junior at MCI who shot an 80, said. “One reason is just to beat my brother (Gavin).”
“I really just took it like any other tournament. I tried to practice and play well. I’ve been having a bit of a rough stretch lately.”
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
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