Saying she was ready to become a head professional, Abby Spector got her wish when she was named the head golf pro at Sugarloaf Golf Club in Carrabassett Valley last week.

Spector said she will start her new job Memorial Day week.

For the last five years, Spector has been an assistant pro at the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Fla., during the winter. During the summers she has returned to New England to work as an assistant pro. Last summer she worked at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., and two years prior to that she was in Nantucket, Mass.

Spector also has worked summers at Lake Winnipesaukee and the Balsams in New Hampshire, and Val Halla and Natanis in Maine.

“It’s hard for a woman to get a head professional job,” said Spector. “I applied at Sugarloaf and a course in North Carolina.”

Spector is looking forward to returning to her home state and working at Sugarloaf.

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“I feel more comfortable in Maine. I’m close to my family. I have a lot of friends there. Sugarloaf is a beautiful course and in a beautiful part of the state,” she said.

At Val Halla, Spector developed a strong junior golf program. She will be looking to do the same at Sugarloaf, in addition to starting a golf school and implementing other ideas.

“It all kind of worked out,” said Ethan Austin, Sugarloaf’s communications director. “Abby was looking to move into a head pro position. The stars kind of aligned.”

Spector had one of the most storied careers in Maine women’s golf. She won seven state amateurs and a New England Women’s Amateur title in 2001. That propelled her to a fine collegiate career at the University of North Carolina. She graduated in 2004.

Besides her golf shop duties and teaching, Spector said she would like to play in some pro-ams with members. Sugarloaf has 125 members. Austin said the golf course plans to open the middle of this month.

TEE TO GREEN: The deadline to enter the Paul Bunyan tournament is Wednesday. The field is limited to 300. “We’re getting close to filling up,” said Matt Barnard of Harris Golf.

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Rosie Jones, who will play in the Hannaford Community Challenge as part of the Legends Tour at Falmouth Country Club, won the first Legends Tour event of the season, the Walgreens Charity Classic, last weekend in Sun City West, Ariz. She shot rounds of 71 and 68 to win by two shots over Elaine Crosby.

The Hannaford Community Challenge from June 21 to 24 is the next event on the schedule.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at: tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH

 


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