The 43rd annual Tri-Cities Championship, a late-summer golf highlight in the Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach area, will take place the weekend of Sept 9-11.

“It’s our local championship,” said tournament chairman John Bouchard, a member of the sponsoring Saco Bay Rotary.

“We have divisions for A, B and C golfers. We also have divisions for women, seniors and juniors.”

The event begins Friday at Biddeford-Saco Country Club. The second round is Saturday at Deep Brook Golf Course in Saco, and the final round is at Dunegrass Country Club in Old Orchard Beach.

The tournament is open to members of the four participating clubs: Biddeford-Saco, Deep Brook, Dunegrass and Dutch Elm in Arundel. Residents of Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach also can enter. The entry fee is $80 for members of the participating clubs and $100 for residents.

Saco Bay Rotary began running the tournament a few years ago. The focus has been strengthening the junior golf programs in the area and raising scholarship money for students at Biddeford High, Old Orchard Beach High and Thornton Academy through tournament sponsorships. Saco Bay Rotary sponsored junior clinics at Biddeford-Saco for six weeks this summer.

The entry deadline is Sept. 4. Entries are available online at www.sacobayrotary.org or at the four golf courses.

The defending champion is Peter Wright of Dunegrass.

JOHN HICKSON, resident pro at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Topsham, became the 19th multiple winner of the New England PGA Championship when he won last week at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass.

Hickson beat Ron Philo of Stowe, Vt., on the second playoff hole. They were tied after 54 holes at 2-under 214. Hickson won his first NEPGA title in 1995. The tournament is 90 years old.

In June, Hickson lost a three-way playoff in the Maine Open, won by Michael Carbone of Brewster, Mass., at Falmouth Country Club.

ALONG WITH HICKSON, other Mainers playing great golf lately include Joe Alvarez of Hampden, who tied a course record at Bangor Municipal with a 10-under 61 in the opening round of the Bangor Golf Classic a week ago.

Alvarez shot 72 in the second round to win the 36-hole tournament by six shots over Kent Johnson of Carmel. Johnson had rounds of 70-69.

Alvarez tied the course record set by Michael Welch of North Quincy, Mass., in the first round of the 2007 Greater Bangor Open.

Ricky Jones of Thomaston qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship when he shot a 73 in a qualifying tournament held in Framingham, Mass. Jones finished third. The top five players advanced to the tournament Sept. 17-22 in Texas.

TEE TO GREEN: The Davis Richardson Memorial Tournament will be held at Fairlawn Golf Club in Poland on Sept. 25. The tournament will benefit the Maine State Golf Association Scholarship Fund. Richardson was a longtime official and scorer for the MSGA. He was elected to the Maine Golf Hall of Fame in 2006. He died in 2010.

The entry fee is $60 and includes a cart, tee gift, long-drive contest, skins, pins and putting contests. A luncheon and awards ceremony will follow the tournament.

Checks are payable to the Davis Richardson Memorial Tournament and should be mailed to the MSGA, 58 Val Halla Rd., Cumberland ME 04021.

John Bouchard and daughter Emily, both of Saco, won their second straight Maine Mixed Championship with a 4-under 68 at Val Halla in Cumberland. Bouchard won her first women’s state amateur two weeks earlier at Penobscot Valley.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH