The 88th Maine Amateur golf championship takes place this week at the Waterville Country Club. This marks the ninth time since the tournament began in 1918 that Waterville has hosted this event.
The 54-hole tourney began Tuesday morning with 126 players competing for the prestigious title of Maine’s best amateur golfer. This is the second year that stroke play competition will determine a winner after five years of match play (2001-05).
All golfers are looking to play well in rounds one and two so that they make the cut for the final round on Thursday. The top 40 scores (and ties) after 36 holes of play will move on to Thursday’s 18 holes at the par-70 layout. Not only do those top 40 players get a shot at the championship, but they also are exempt for next year’s Maine Amateur – meaning they are automatically entered and do not have to play in a qualifier in order to earn a spot in the field.
Local entrants include Tobey Buteau (Willowdale), Mike O’Brien (Sable Oaks), Mark Henderson (Willowdale), Dan McCarron (Sable Oaks), Eric Crouse (Nonesuch River), Cash Wiseman (Sable Oaks), Matt Bernstein (Purpoodock), Chris King (Willowdale), Eric Whitmore (Nonesuch River), Brandon Wohl (Nonesuch River). In addition, John Hayes and his son Johnny Hayes IV (both of Purpoodock) are one of two father and son combinations in the field.
Crouse won the Maine Amateur in 1998 and he finished tied for second in 1999. Wiseman was the runner-up in 2004 and Johnny Hayes IV is the current Maine Junior champion.
In 2006, Windham’s Shawn Warren won the Maine Amateur at the Gorham Country Club. The most recent winners:
2006 – Shawn Warren
2005 – Corey Poulin
2004 – Ricky Jones
2003 – Ricky Jones
2002 – Mark Plummer
2001 – Mark Plummer
2000 – Mark Plummer
1999 – Ron Brown, Jr.
1998 – Eric Crouse
1997 – Mark Plummer
1996 – Mark Plummer
1995 – Casey Bourque
1994 – Mark Plummer
1993 – Dan Ladd
1992 – Rick Ambrose
1991 – Sean Gorgone
1990 – Sean Gorgone
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