Brunswick Golf Club member Caleb Manuel of Topsham poses with his scorecard after carding a 12-under par 60 recently at BGC. Manuel shattered the course record by four strokes. (Submitted photo)
BRUNSWICK — Soon, Caleb Manuel will tee it up for his senior golf season at Mt. Ararat High School.
However, the busy golfer has been just that … busy!
Last week, Manuel opened things by breaking the course record at Brunswick Golf Club by shooting an amazing 60.
Playing with Eagles teammate Eli Schoenberg, Manuel eagled the second hole, followed by a birdie on the third to get his round from the white tees off to a good start.
From there, he birdied holes 6-8 to shoot 31 on the front nine.
As daylight began to fade, the pair picked up their pace on the back nine. Four straight birdies put Manuel at 10-under par, followed by birdies on 16 and 18 in near darkness to close out a back nine score of 29 and an 18-hole total of 60.
His round shattered the previous course record of Jack Harkins, who shot 64. The 41-year-old course record stood the test of time, only tied by Nate McCue in 2017. That is until Manuel set his sites on making history.
More magic
Manuel wasn’t finished. Far from it!
The reigning State Class A high school golf champion who also led his Eagles to their first state golf
Mt. Ararat High School’s and Brunswick Golf Club member Caleb Manuel watches his approach on the second hole at BGC during the high school golf season in Aug. 2018. Manuel recently shot a course-record 12-under par 60 at BGC,, followed by winning the men’s club championship this past weekend. (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
title in 2018, next played in the Brunswick Golf Club championship.
After tying for fifth in the recent Maine Amateur Championship at Portland Country Club and tying for 11th in the New England Amateur Championship — not to mention taking second in the Maine Junior Amateur in late July at Val Halla Golf Club in Cumberland — Manuel teed it up at his home club at BGC in the men’s club championship this past weekend.
Rounds of 66 and 73 gave him the club title and ended a superb week of golf for Manuel.
In Saturday’s first round from the blue tees, Manuel tied Andy Fournier’s record of 66 for a one-shot lead over Mike Doran. Like Manuel, Doran grew up playing his junior golf at BGC and for his alma mater Mt. Ararat, and was back as a member at BGC this season for the first time in over a decade after playing out of Sable Oaks Golf Club and becoming a club champion there.
The duel between Manuel and Doran continued during Sunday’s final round when they were paired together along with Garrett Olson, who shot a first round 73.
Manuel maintained a one-shot lead through 27 holes, but Doran tied things when Manuel bogeyed the par-3 fourth hole.
Doran fell one back again with a bogey on the next hole, and Manuel cruised in with five straight pars to finish 5-under overall (139) and a three-shot victory.
Kris Johnson (162) won the Ladies Club Championship over five-time defending champion Margaret Brann (165), while Elliott Chick (169) captured the men’s first flight.
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