MANCHESTER — After a bogey on the third hole Tuesday, Ted Brown chucked his ball into the woods. After his round was done and Brown was the Maine Open champion, he spoke of the moment as if it was something everybody does.

“I don’t ever play a ball I make a bogey with. That’s just the way I play,” Brown said. “It’s on to the next one. There’s no need for it.”

Brown ended up tossing two bogey balls in the final round but those were the exceptions. A strong front nine at the Augusta Country Club staked Brown to the lead and steady play on the back nine clinched it.

Brown finished at 7 under in the two-day tournament, one shot better than Jon McLean and Nicholas Pandelena.

A Canadian who has lived in Virginia since graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003, Brown began the day tied for the lead with Jason Thresher and Josh Eure at 4 under. Eure and Thresher both struggled Tuesday, particularly on the back nine. Eure was even on the day and finished tied for seventh, and Thresher was 3 over on the day and tied for 22nd.

Brown’s back-nine struggles were limited to a bogey on 13, and par putts after long birdie tries didn’t fall on 10, 11 and 12.

“I just didn’t make any putts. A couple of the wedges weren’t as close and I just didn’t make any putts. That’s really the only difference,” Brown said.

Brown said he was glad to birdie 16 because it pulled him back to even on the back nine. At the time, Brown had no idea there were players in the clubhouse at 6 under, and the putt had given him back the lead.

“It was nice to birdie 16. You know, with that back pin, both guys in my group ended up bogeying it. It’s one of those holes, you’ve got to hit a good shot,” Brown said. “That was good, to get back even on my back nine, but I had no idea where I stood until I got to the scorer’s table. I never asked or anything. I really didn’t know … I’m not going to change my game. I might if I knew but there’s no point. Out here I’m trying to birdie every hole.”

Brown started his day strong, with birdies on holes one, two and four wrapped around the bogey on three. Brown picked up another birdie on six. After his tee shot on the 358-yard hole went approximately 300 yards to the middle of the fairway, Brown chipped within a few feet of the pin, setting up an easy birdie putt.

This was the second Maine Open for Brown, who tied for fifth in 2013. After playing on the Web.com Tour last year (“I played my way off that nicely,” Brown said with a laugh) he hasn’t played much competitive golf this year. The Maine Open was just his second tournament of the year. The first was last week, when he tied for 10th at the Greater Bangor Open.

Brown’s next tourney starts less than 24 hours after winning the Maine Open, when he begins play in the New Hampshire Open. It’s a whirlwind golf tour of the Northeast, and Brown was happy to leave Augusta a winner.

“I haven’t really played much this year,” Brown said. “I came up with a couple buddies to have some fun. We’ll go play New Hampshire, then head back (home).”

Jack Wyman was the top amateur, finishing tied for seventh at 4 under. Shawn Warren was the top Maine pro, tied for 15th at 2 under.

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