SACO — The Maine State Golf Association’s 101st Maine Amateur Championship teed off Tuesday, July 7 at the Biddeford-Saco Country Club. 

The three-day event featured six area golfers, all representing the Samoset Golf Club, including Camden’s Cole Anderson, Thomaston’s Ricky Jones, Rockland’s Rich Mazurek, West Rockport’s Jon Hardy, St. George’s Parker Hilchey and Rockland’s Mike McNaboe. 

Anderson won the event last year after he shot rounds of 65-69-67 en route to a score of 201 (-9) to beat runner-up Reese McFarlane by eight strokes.

Back in the field to defend his title, Anderson joined John Hayes IV, Jones, Mark Plummer, and Andrew Slattery as the only former champions in the field of 132 players.

This year saw 364 players register for a chance to compete in the championship, including 53 players who were exempt. The other 79 players earned their spots at qualifiers across the state of Maine in June held at Willowdale Golf Club, Brunswick Golf Club, Poland Spring Golf Club and Bangor Municipal Golf Club. 

The Maine Amateur is a 54-hole stroke play competition. The field for the championship was cut to the low 40 players plus ties after two rounds, who advance to Thursday’s final round.

Any player that makes the cut will be exempt from qualifying for the 2021 Maine Amateur Championship at Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor.

Additionally, the top 16 and ties will earn a berth in the 2020 Match Play Invitational, to be played at Spring Meadows Golf Club in August.

Results

Cole Anderson — 1st (-10)
Round 1: 71, Even, Tied for 5th
Round 2: 67, - 4, 1st
Round 3: 65, - 10, 1st
Total Gross: 203

Ricky Jones — Tied for 29th (+5)
Round 1: 75, +4, Tied for 25th
Round 2: 73, +6, Tied for 26th
Round 3: 76, +11, Tied for 29th
Total Gross: 224

Parker Hilchey — Tied for 33rd (+13) 
Round 1: 76, +5, Tied for 34th 
Round 2: 74, +8, Tied for 39th
Round 3: 76, +13, Tied for 33rd
Total Gross: 226

Jon Hardy — CUT
Round 1: 76, +5, Tied for 34th
Round 2: 78, +12, Cut

Rich Mazurek — CUT
Round 1: 83, +12, Tied for 105th
Round 2: 79, +20, Cut

Mike McNaboe — CUT
Round 1: 84, +13, Tied for 111th
Round 2: 78, +20, Cut