OAKLAND — As she walked toward the clubhouse at Waterville Country Club, Debby Gardner shook her head and said, “I don’t think there’s going to be good scores today. If anybody shoots 75, it’s going to be phenomenal.”
Leslie Guenther did, and it was.
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Guenther, who plays out of Norway Country Club, shot a 75 on Tuesday to take the lead at the Maine Women’s Amateur at Waterville Country Club. Mary Brandes, who plays at the Woodlands, is three strokes back with a 78. Two-time defending champion Emily Bouchard of Saco and Turner’s Prudence Hornberger each carded an 80, while Gardner, of Waterville, finished with an 83.
“The wind came up,” Gardner said. “Not only does that affect the flight of the ball, but it’s drying the greens out, and the greens are getting much faster. They’re putting beautifully, but after yesterday, when it was like putting on a rug because of all the rain…”
Guenther has won the Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association Championship multiple times. She finished ninth, 14 strokes behind Bouchard, at last year’s Maine Women’s Amateur, held at Brunswick Golf Club. In 2012, she was second behind Bouchard when the tournament was at Augusta Country Club.
On Tuesday, Guenther was consistent throughout her round, shooting a 38 on the first nine holes and a 37 on the back nine. Her one slip-up came when she four-putted the eighth hole.
Brandes is also annually among the leaders in this tournament. She tied for sixth last summer and placed fifth two years ago.
Bouchard was in the day’s first group with Gardner and Kris Kannegieser. Bouchard said she had a few lip-outs and a frustrating day overall.
“I just wasn’t sharp today. I didn’t have it,” Bouchard said. “I wasn’t on point. I didn’t putt very well.”
Bouchard shot an even-par 73 on Monday, but hers and all other scores were wiped out by the rain, as tournament officials opted to discount the first day and make it a two-day tournament.
“I don’t want to dwell on it too much,” Bouchard said. “It’s said and done. Not much I can do about it now. Whether or not it could have been handled differently, I’m sure it’ll be discussed. But I have no say in it. We’re all under the same conditions here. It’s unfortunate — you come out, you play great, and it gets taken away from you a little bit. But everyone’s in the same boat. There were other players who played well, too.”
One of those was Liz Wiltshire, who plays out of Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro. Wiltshire’s 76 from Monday was wiped off the books, and she was 11 strokes back with an 86 on Tuesday.
After Gardner carded an 86 on Monday, her 83 on Tuesday included three-double-bogeys.
“That was the difference between having a nice round and a not-so-nice round,” Gardner said. “But generally, I was much happier with my play today.”
Ruth Colucci, out of Biddeford-Saco Country Club, finished with an 81. Her putt on 18 hung on the lip, prompting Colucci to shout, “Are you kidding me?” A few seconds later, the ball fell in to a big cheer from the crowd.
“The rough here is pretty rough, and the green is pretty hard, too,” Colucci said.
Micki Meggison, out of Sable Oaks, also shot an 81. Cecily Whiting of the Woodlands and Bailey Plourde from Samoset Country Club are each seven strokes back with an 82.
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
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