13-time champ Plummer lurking with match play on tap
2002 PVCC champion Jay Livingston fires

a 6-under-par 66.
By Justin Pelletier
Staff Writer

ORONO – The course was faster, the greens were harder and most of the scores crept higher. But for 2002 Penobscot Valley Country Club champion Jay Livingston it seemed like a walk in the park – a very familiar park.

Livingston birdied three holes on the front nine and another three on the back while making no bogeys to post a 6-under-par 66 for a two-day total of 7-under-par 147, earning the top seed in the Maine Amateur as the tournament shifts to match play for the final two days.

“It probably looks like it was an easy round,” said Livingston, who carded no score worse than a four all day. “When I look at it now it looks and feels like it was easy, too, but out there it felt anything but easy.”

To go along with his bevy of threes were three birdies on the par-5s, something Livingston knows is key to winning at Penobscot Valley.

“Out here if you birdie the par-5s and par everything else you are in really good shape,” said Livingston. “I was fortunate enough to get a few more on some other holes.”

The highlight of his round actually came on his final shot. In a pinch on the 18th, Livingston used a wedge to chip up to the green. The ball rolled into the cup for a birdie, capping his 66.

“I was just trying to get it close,” said Livingston. “I wanted to make sure that I didn’t make a bogey because I hadn’t made one all day.”

Livingston advances as the No. 1 seed and faces No. 16 Toby Spector of Waterville, who squeaked in with a two-day total of 147 and a top-four finish in a five-man playoff. Spector rallied with a 69 after a dismal 78 on Tuesday to finish at 147, forcing the playoff.

“I didn’t think I had a chance to make it into the match-play round,” said Spector. “I was looking at breaking 150, which I did, but I didn’t think I’d get low enough to force a playoff.”

Despite the moniker as the No. 16-seed, Spector won’t be a pushover for Livingston.

“The thing with this format is that maybe the No. 16 guy didn’t have his best day and maybe the No. 1 shot better than normal, so the two may not be that far apart ability-wise,” said Livingston. “The only goal these two days, really, was to make it into the field of 16.”

Tuesday’s low medalist Shawn Warren fought his way to a 1-over-par 73 on Wednesday to take the No. 3 seed with a two-day total of 3-under 141.

“I got frustrated a bit out there today,” said Warren. “I had a couple of birdies that helped me salvage my round, but still knowing that I shot such a good score yesterday was frustrating.”

Contributing to Warren’s round and several other players with higher scores Wednesday was a brisk breeze and less water, which dried out the greens and made many back-to-front putts treacherous to the touch.

“Those greens were fast today,” said Warren. “The pin placements were tough, too.”

Other golfers who fell victim to the change in conditions included 16-year-old Jesse Speirs, who fell to a two-round total of 146 after a 74.

“I fell behind early,” said Speirs, who made bogey on three of his first six holes. “I put myself in some bad positions off the tee on the front nine, but I was able to make some birdies out back.”

Mark Plummer stayed consistent with his first-round score, firing his second consecutive 71 to post a 2-under-par 142. Plummer will be the No. 4 seed and face No. 13 Steve Tsujiura, one of the most popular hockey players to ever play for the former Maine Mariners. Michael Norris of Hermon Meadows came in late with a round of 68 for a two-day total of 138, vaulting him into second place behind Livingston. Norris draws No. 15 Ross McGee of Clinton Golf Course.

Play begins on the first hole at 7:30 a.m. The quarterfinals will be in the afternoon.

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