Sit back and enjoy the final round of the Masters today. The year’s first major championship in men’s professional golf always offers plenty of drama. It’s the most exciting back nine in golf.
Speaking of excitement, there should be plenty of that in Maine this summer with the tournament schedules for the Maine State Golf Association and Women’s Maine State Golf Association.
Both are hosting New England championships. The New England Amateur for men with a heavy flavor on the college crowd will be played July 17-19 at the Falmouth Country Club.
A week before, the New England Women’s Amateur will be at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro. The dates are July 9-11. On July 23-25, the WMSGA will hold the state amateur at the Augusta Country Club.
Augusta also will be the site of the Charlie’s Maine Open on June 19-20.
“It’s the first time the Maine Open has gone north in quite a long time,” said Sam Marzenell, director of player development and tournament administrator for the MSGA.
“It’s a great Donald Ross course.”
A course for next year’s Maine Open hasn’t been determined. The MSGA has indicated it might like to move the tournament around.
The Maine Amateur will be played at Sunday River in Newry on July 10-12. The mountain course will present a stern test.
The MSGA’s championship season begins, as usual, with the team championship at Belgrade Lakes on May 20. The players in each foursome in the best ball gross and net tournament have to be from the same club or course.
The B and C championship is July 30-31 at Waterville. The Maine Junior Amateur returns to Val Halla on Aug. 1-3. The Senior Amateur will be Aug. 21-22 at Brunswick.
Other tourneys: the Two-Man, Aug. 28-29 at Sugarloaf; Senior Two-Man, Sept. 18 at Poland Spring; and the Mid-Amateur, Sept. 29-30 at Webhannet and Prouts Neck.
“I love our lineup of courses. They’re tremendous venues,” said Marzenell.
In addition to the New England championships here, there will be men’s qualifying tournaments to get into national events. The first will be for the U.S. Public Links Championship, at Brunswick on June 14, and for the U.S. Amateur Championship, at Sanford on July 16.
TEE TO GREEN: The First Tee of Maine will double in size this season as it adds affiliate programs at Fox Ridge in Auburn and Penobscot Valley in Orono. They join programs at Riverside and Val Halla.
Ron Bibeau, a former head pro at Riverside and the First Tee executive director, is looking to offer First Tee programs to Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine.
“A lot is happening,” said Bibeau. “We also have 30 elementary schools involved with our national schools program.”
The First Tee has programs in all 50 states. It strives to build character in children through golf. It is open to boys and girls ages 8 to 18.
Kevin Cullen, the St. Dominic High coach, will be the program director at Fox Ridge. Bibeau said he’s in the process of finding a program director at Penobscot Valley.
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
Twitter: TomChardPPH
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