The Maine State Golf Association Match Play championship is set for next Tuesday through Thursday at Martindale Country Club in Auburn. Now in its sixth year, the match play championship has had five different winners. Last year, three-time Maine Amateur champion Ricky Jones took the match play title, 6 and 4, over Jeff Cole at Sable Oaks Golf Club in South Portland.
The list of match play champions includes three Maine Am winners: Jones, Johnny Hayes IV, and Ryan Gay of Pittston, who won the 2011 match play tournament at Augusta Country Club.
The match play tournament features 32 golfers playing in head-to-head matches until a winner is crowned on Thursday. As in past years, invitations to compete in the tournament were offered to the top finishers in the Maine Amateur championship, which was held last month at Waterville Country Club. Johnny Hayes IV, this year’s Maine Am winner and match play champion in 2012 at Natanis, will face Mike Caron in Tuesday’s first match, at 7 a.m.
Joe Alvarez, the 2010 match play champ, will take on Malcolm Oliver in the first round. Jones’ opponent for the first round is Dan Bellemare.
Manchester’s Mark Plummer, the 13-time winner of the Maine Am and the runner up to Hayes this year, will play Brian Bilodeau in a first round match. Other central Maine golfers in the tournament include Maranacook Community High School graduate Luke Ruffing, who will play Keith Patterson II, and Thomas Bean, who will take on Neil Lyons.
The first two rounds will be played on Tuesday, with the quarterfinals and semifinals set for Wednesday. The championship round will be played on Thursday.
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Westernview’s Pete Matthews shot a nine-over 149 to finish in a tie for 23rd place at the New England PGA’s Senior Championship, played Wednesday and Thursday at the Woodstock Country Club in Woodstock, Vt.
Matthews shot a 74 on day one, and followed that with a 75 on Thursday’s second day. On Thursday, Matthews picked up a birdie on the par-4 hole 4. His back nine included bogeys on 11 and 12, with seven pars.
Kirk Hanefield was the tournament winner with a two-day score of 133, seven under par.
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Maine Central Institute teammates Eric Dugas and Carter Pearl each placed in the top 10 at the state junior championship this week at Toddy Brook Golf Course in North Yarmouth.
Dugas finished in fifth place after shooting a two-day score of 154, 10-over. Dugas was at 73 after day one, but struggled on Thursday, shooting an 81. While Dugas had a pair of double bogeys on the back nine on Thursday, he finished his round with a strong birdie on 18.
Pearl placed 10th with a 157 score. Pearl’s best hole of the tournament was No. 14 on Thursday. Pearl eagled the par-5, 506 yard hole. Pearl started on the back nine on Thursday, and opend his day with a birdie on 10.
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Liz Wiltshire of Vassalboro sank a hole in one while playing in a Women’s Maine State Golf Association tournament at Searsport Pines Golf Course on Tuesday.
Wiltshire used her 5 iron to ace the 138-yard, par three sixth hole at Searsport Pines. The shot was witnessed by Deb Gardner of Belgrade, Nancy Carlson of Rockland and Sue Wooton of Rockland.
Wiltshire’s feat was the first hole in one of the season at Searsport Pines. As a result of the shot, Wiltshire won the tournament’s closest to the pin prize.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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