OAKLAND — John Hayes IV of Cape Elizabeth always has believed he has the game to win the Maine Amateur Golf Championship.

But in his previous appearances in the tournament, Hayes, 25, said: “Nothing really panned out.”

This could be the year that Hayes breaks through and wins. He certainly looked the part with a sparkling opening round.

Hayes made seven birdies en route to a 5-under 65 on Tuesday in the 96th Maine Amateur at Waterville Country Club.

He has a four-shot lead over Sam Grindle of Deer Isle and 13-time tournament winner Mark Plummer of Manchester, who both shot 69.

Hayes, a former Cape Elizabeth High golfer who played at Towson State in Maryland and the University of Colorado, realizes a lot can happen over the next two days.

But if Hayes keeps hitting fairways, greens and making putts, he’ll be tough to catch.

He made only one mistake in the first round – a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 third. On his tee shot, Hayes tried to cut the ball around the dogleg right. Instead he hit it straight, and the ball ran through the fairway and into the trees. He had to take an unplayable lie, which cost him a shot.

Standing at 2 over after three holes, Hayes rebounded by making five straight 3s to get to 2 under. He birdied the par-5 ninth from just off the green to make the turn in 3 under.

“There are so many birdies out there,” said Hayes. “You just have to stay aggressive and keep trying to make them. To score well on Maine golf courses, you have to have a good wedge game because most of the par 4s are a driver and wedge. When I practice, all I hit are drivers and wedges.”

Hayes put his driver away on a few par 4s and went with his 19-degree hybrid. After his errant tee shot on the third hole, Hayes sacrificed a little distance for accuracy.

Hayes’ scorecard showed 10 3s on it. Hayes, who also spends plenty of time in Newport, Rhode Island, where his family has roots, won the Maine Match Play Championship in 2012. In 2013, he captured the Rhode Island Stroke Play Championship. He graduated from Colorado last year.

Hayes’ best finish in the Maine Amateur was a tie for fifth in 2012 at Sunday River Golf Course. He has tied for 14th the last two years.

Hayes came in with a lot of confidence. In a practice round Monday, Hayes also made seven birdies and shot 65.

Grindle also entered with a lot of confidence, having won his second straight Paul Bunyan tournament last month. He was 4 under on the front nine, but made four bogeys and a birdie on the back nine.

“The wind picked up on the back nine and I got a little too aggressive, which cost me,” said Grindle, who plays golf at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

Plummer, 63, had three birdies and two bogeys. He birdied Nos. 14 and 15, both par 4s.

“I played pretty steady,” said Plummer whose Maine Amateur titles have spanned four decades. “This is my style golf course.”

Jeff Cole of York was alone at even-par 70. Three golfers were at 71 – three-time champion Ricky Jones of Thomaston, homeclubber Kevin Byrne of Winslow and Brent Barker of Bar Harbor.

Defending champion Andrew Slattery of Minot shot a 72. Thirteen-year-old Caleb Manuel of Topsham, the youngest player in the tournament, shot a 76.

“I was a little nervous at the start but it was fun,” he said. “I chipped really well.”

Manuel chipped in for a par on No. 17, and got up and down from the back fringe on 18 for a par.

The wind picked up when the early starters were finishing and grew in intensity throughout the afternoon.

The first and 10th holes are on a hill at Waterville, which adds to the wind exposure.

“The wind was swirling through the trees on the back nine,” said Tom Bean of Manchester. “It made club selection more difficult.”

Bean overcame the wind to shot a 72 to stay within striking distance of the leaders.

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