Jul. 19—Seventy-four of the state’s best female golfers will tee off at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course on Monday for the 54-hole Maine Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament.
The three most recent winners, 2020 champ Ruby Haylock from the Turner Highlands Country Club in Turner, Bailey Plourde (2019) from the Sheepscot Links Golf Club in Whitefield and Jordan Laplume (2018) from the Dunegrass Golf Club in Old Orchard Beach, will tee off together to kick off the tournament at 8 a.m. on Monday.
Haylock, who is from the town of Hartford, chipped in at the first playoff hole to beat Newcastle’s Plourde last year after she squandered a four-shot lead with three holes to play.
She was one of the youngest to ever win the Maine Women’s Amateur at 15.
Brian Bickford, the executive director of the Maine State Golf Association, said there is going to be a strong field with 23 golfers carrying a 10-handicap or lower.
“It’s going to be great. We have a great venue and the Bangor golf community has been very supportive so we’re happy to bring it up there,” Bickford said.
“We’re thrilled to have it,” said Bangor Municipal Golf Course pro Rob Jarvis. “The golf course is in real good shape.”
He said head course superintendent Jordan Burnett has done an exceptional job taking care of the course while dealing with drought-like conditions.
Jarvis said the course is conducive to low scores, but golfers have to avoid the rough surrounding the greens.
“You don’t want to be there. The rough is really thick,” Jarvis said. “You want to put your approach shots in the middle of the green.”
The other two former winners in the field are 2014 titlist Leslie Guenther from the Mingo Springs Golf Course in Rangeley and Kristin Kannegieser from the Portland Country Club, who triumphed in 2006 and 2010.
Bangor Municipal’s layout is a par 71 and encompasses 5,451 yards. The 74 golfers represent 32 different golf courses with Biddeford-Saco’s nine golfers and Turner Highlands’ seven leading the way.