CUMBERLAND — With a one-shot lead over Thomas Higgins and four over Caleb Manuel, Conner Paine knew he had to get a lift somewhere, somehow in the blistering heat to hold off the talented golfers behind him.
The 18-year old from South China found that jolt, eagling the fourth hole, followed by a birdie on the fifth to go 7-under at the time and continued to play consistent golf thereafter, cruising to an eight-stroke victory in capturing the 2019 Maine Junior Golf Championship at Val Halla Golf Course.
“Getting an eagle on four and a birdie on five, that had me realizing I could do this,” Paine said.
After a long drive on hole No. 4, the shortened second shot put the Erskine Academy graduate on the green in two, converting the eagle to gain a stroke on both Higgins and Manuel, as each birdied the hole.
“I felt once I was 7-under, even if I had a couple doubles or a bogey or two, who cares, I could still make some birdies for a good score.”
“It was good to get that birdie back on four,” Manuel, who will enter his senior year at Mt. Ararat High School, said after bogeying the previous hole. “It kept me within striking distance. I knew this was a tournament I could win.”
“Striking distance” was all either Manuel or Higgins were able to do on the front nine.
Caleb Manuel of Topsham chips on to the green on the sixth hole during Tuesday’s first round of the Maine Junior Golf Championship at Val Halla G.C. (Eric Maxim / The Times Record)
Mt. Ararat’s Cade Charron drives a ball of the No. 8 tee during Tuesday’s first round of the Maine Junior Golf Championship at Val Halla G.C. (Eric Maxim / The Times Record)
After Higgins ran into trouble on the fifth hole — scoring a double-bogey — the Cheverus High School graduate dropped a few strokes behind, posting three more bogeys and finishing with a 41 on the first nine holes — six strokes behind his first-round score on Tuesday — and trailing Paine by eight strokes.
Manuel, who finished tied for fifth at the Maine Amateur earlier this month, took advantage of his opportunity, playing steady golf himself on the first nine holes to post a 1-over 37, the same score from Tuesday, finding himself six back.
Recent Mt. Ararat graduate Cade Charron, who began the day tied for fourth after shooting a 73, had a rough start to the day, but finished his first nine strong. After dropping three strokes on the first two holes, Charron birdied holes four and eight for a first nine 37 as well.
“I felt pretty good on the front nine with some pretty good shots, making some birdies down the stretch after starting out with bogey and double bogey,” Charron said. “It gave me confidence heading to the back side.”
Back nine
Manuel failed to gain ground on the 11th hole after Paine scored a bogey, as a missed putt gave Manuel a bogey as well.
“I was hoping to make some birdies here and there, but it didn’t happen. My putter kind of let me down today,” Manuel said.
Putter or no putter, it was becoming evident that catching Paine was going to be a tall task. Paine enjoyed a seven-stroke lead until Manuel’s birdie on 13 cut the deficit to six, but a par on 14 and a birdie on 15 all but sealed it for the leader.
“I think I played really well today,” Paine said. “The only thing I wasn’t doing well was (I) pulling my shots, but like all of us out there in the heat, I was grinding and I made some really good putts.”
“I kept fighting all day, I didn’t really feel out of it until 15,” Manuel, who is entering his senior year at Mt. Ararat, said. “But, (Conner) was making it real tough for us to catch him.”
Manuel, the 2018 Class A Maine high school champ plans to take a little time off to relax before heading to Connecticut to compete in the New England Junior Invitational, Aug. 11-13.
Caleb Manuel of Topsham watches his second shot in flight on the sixth hole during Tuesday’s first round of the Maine Junior Golf Championship at Val Halla G.C. (Eric Maxim / The Times Record)
Paine finished the finished nine with a 37, bringing his two-day total to 139, 5-under for the championship. Manuel finished second at 147 (3-over), while Charron’s 78 second-round score gave him a tie for third place with Andrew Klein, totaling a 151 for the two-round event.
“I was 2-over through 14 holes, but I bogeyed the last four holes, not making very good shots coming in, but overall I was happy with my performance, making this a learning experience to help me get better,” Charron, who will attend Husson University this fall, said.
Mitchell Tarrio was next at 152 and Higgins finished sixth with a score of 154. Aaron Perkins (155), Teddy Forsley (156), Colin Merritt (157) and Nick McGonagle (157) rounded out the top 10.
Other local finishers were — from the Mt. Ararat High School golf program — recent graduate Will Kavanaugh finished tied for13th, with a 162 and Eli Schoenberg was 26th, shooting a 178.
While in the boys ages 13-15 group, incoming Mt. Ararat freshman Parker Bate placed second with a score of 159, followed by Ty Henke (seventh, 172). Freeport’s Eli Spaulding placed eighth after a 175.
In the 12-and-under division, Will Routhier, also of Freeport, was tied for ninth.
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