As he approaches his 60th birthday, Mark Plummer remains one of the state’s top amateurs.

The Manchester resident and Augusta Country Club member will be among the favorites next week in the Senior Amateur at the Waterville Country Club, competing for a title he last won in 2008. Just three years ago, Plummer won the State of Maine championship against both pros and amateurs at Sugarloaf USA, one of his favorite courses.

He won the last of his 13 Maine Amateur titles at Falmouth in 2002 to cap a run of three straight championships. He wasn’t particularly pleased with his ninth-place finish at this year’s Amateur, nor at this month’s Match Play championship held at Augusta.

Some of his play these days he attributes to age although he says arthritis that has bothered him in the past hasn’t been an issue.

“Just little nagging things,” Plummer said. “My back tightens up, just some things that happen when you get older. I try to keep myself in fairly good shape. Still, 60 is 60.”

Plummer plays golf four or five times a week and competes in a number of the Maine State Golf Association’s weekly tournaments. He’s won three of the events and is currently second to Ricky Jones in the overall points race. Playing different courses and hobnobbing with old friends is one of the reasons he plays, but he still enjoys competing.

“You always want something to test yourself,” he said. “That’s why I play in those weekend things.”

Plummer undoubtedly has put together the best amateur career in the history of Maine golf and accomplished a lot of that when most men are supposed to be past their prime. The highlight, of course, came in 1995 when at the age of 43, Plummer took on 19-year-old Tiger Woods in the semifinals of the 100th U.S. Amateur in Newport, R.I.

A lot of golfers might have retired on the spot, but Plummer has won dozens of titles since. These days, he’s rarely the favorite but no one counts him out either.

“I know I’ve got to play really good,” he said. “Back along if I just played my regular game I was going to win. That’s changed.”

What’s hasn’t changed is his competitive spirit.

“There really isn’t anything I play in I don’t think I could win,” he said.

Among the highlights of his fall schedule, Plummer hopes to get an invitation to play at Cape Arundel from former President George H.W. Bush. He’s played with him many times along with PGA Tour pros he’s invited, including Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard.

Although the former president no longer plays, he called Plummer a couple of months ago and hinted at an invitation this fall that might also include Mickelson.

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Two-thirds of this week’s New England Junior team championships in Brattleboro, Vt. was rained out. Golfers lost the opening-day 36 holes to rain Monday and played 18 on Tuesday.

Maine finished fifth in the tournament won by Massachusetts, while Madison’s Seth Sweet placed fifth individually with 74.

“I didn’t play too, too bad,” Sweet said. “It was still pouring that day, too.”

Sweet, who will be a senior at Madison Area Memorial High School this fall, finished fourth in the Maine Amateur, but the highlight of his summer was qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur. He narrowly missed the cut for match play, losing in a playoff that opened with a par 3.

“I’d like to have back that tee shot on the playoff hole,” he said. “I’d been hitting 6-irons for an hour and a half.”

Sweet’s greatest progress this summer has been on the mental part of the game. He’s been working with sports psychologist Scott Barnicle for a couple of months.

“I don’t look at anything negative now,” Sweet said. “He helped me out a lot.”

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Sweet won the Class C individual high school championship last fall as an independent since Madison didn’t have enough players to field a team. They have enough this year and will be back in the Mountain Valley Conference.

“We have seven kids with Seth anchoring the show,” Madison coach Heath Cowan said.

Three golfers from Carrabec will also travel with the team and play exhibition matches.

After a year off, Winthrop also has a team, albeit with just the minimum four golfers.

“We can do it with four, but we’re kind of hoping we can find that fifth one,” Winthrop coach Lonney Steeves said. “A couple of kids are interested.”

Monmouth also has four golfers and will play with Winthrop as separate team with Steeves coaching both.

“We can’t be a combined team,” Steeves said. “The MPA won’t allow it with individual sports.”

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Two central Maine pros played well in tournaments this month. Waterville Country Club pro Don Roberts headed a group that won the Pro-Lady Championship this week at Springbrook. Roberts combined with Deb Gardner, Ann Probert and Sharon Preece to shoot 15-under 133 in the best 2 of 4 format. Roberts was also low pro with 66.

Earlier this month Western View pro Pete Matthews finished fifth in the New England PGA Seniors Championship at Okemo GC in Ludlow, Vt. Matthews followed an opening day low 66 with 73 to finish at 139.

Chip shots: The CVA Golf and Tennis classic is being played today at Sugarloaf. Proceeds support the Martha B. Webber Scholarship fund at Carrabassett Valley Academy . . . The 16th annual Bob Burns CARA Open will be held 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at Natanis. There are still a few openings for this tournament which benefits the Capital Area Recreation Association fields and operations on Piggery Road in Augusta. Entry forms are available online at cara-maine.org . . . The Winthrop Sports Boosters 17th annual golf tournament will be held Sept. 11 at Springbrook. To register contact Jane Belanger 242-2802 or 377-6230 or Leona Michelsen 377-2435.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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