Every year we see more tournaments and championships around the state, but come August there are some familiar titles to be decided that amateurs and pros alike focus on.

Maine’s juniors have an added incentive to do well this week in the state championships to be held at Val Halla Tuesday through Thursday. The winner will automatically qualify for the New England Junior Championships, which will be held at Biddeford-Saco Country Club Aug. 17-19. The remainder of the six-man team will be decided according to a points system based on their scoring average in regular MSGA events and other USGA-sanctioned tournaments.

Jesse Speirs is the defending champion in both the Maine and New England Championships. The Maine team will defend the title they won a year ago in the New Englands. A lot of us were waiting to see if Speirs could repeat his strong showing at the Bangor Open last week, but the Bangor golfer was in Chevy Chase, Maryland for the U.S. Junior Championships.

His 75-76/151 in stroke play forced him to a playoff to get into the match play. His birdie on the 19th hole got him a spot seeded 60 out of 64 players. He won his first round match, but lost to Zechariah Potter of Kansas 2-1 in the second round. Interestingly, the tournament was played at Columbia CC, the professional home of Greeley standout Holly Anderson who was inducted into Maine’s Golf Hall of Fame last year.

This past week Speirs was at Falmouth CC for the first-ever U.S. Amateur Qualifier to be contested in Maine. Fifty top amateurs played 36 holes in an attempt to get one of the two spots in the national tournament, Aug. 18-24 at Oakmont in Pennsylvania. The Bangor junior’s 75 was good for a tie for seventh in a group that included Mark Plummer. The two spots went to Ron Harvey of New Brunswick and Joseph Alvarez who won in a playoff. Josh Allard, Thomaston, Ricky Jones, Veazie, Breandan Hester, Sutton, Mass., and Corey Poulin, Milford earned alternate spots.

While the juniors play at Val Halla, a field of 100 or more is expected at Sugarloaf for the State of Maine Championships, an important event put on by the Maine Chapter of NEPGA. There will be a Pro-Am Tuesday followed by the 36-hole tournament the next two days.

Three-time champion Bob Darling Jr. will defend his title against a field of juniors, seniors and his contemporaries in the 18-50 bracket. Last year’s professional winner took home $2,000.

Maine NEPGA Chapter Executive Director Tony Decker expects this year’s purse to be even larger with the addition of some new sponsors.

It’s unfortunate that crowded schedules put the state juniors and this event the same week, preventing the top juniors from competing in this stroke-play championship. As more tournaments are created, this problem could get even worse.

The 2003 Maine Senior Amateur Championship will cover two venues, the first round being played at Portland CC Aug. 25 with the final round at Fox Ridge the next day. The field will be limited to the first 124 players to apply and is restricted to Maine resident amateurs and non-residents who have been members of MSGA affiliated clubs for 10 years and who reside in Maine for five months annually.

Kennebec Heights will host the Maine Mixed Championships Aug. 24. This event features amateur teams consisting of a male and a female competing in a Scotch Ball Modified Pinehurst. Under this format both players hit drives from the appropriate tee box, then play their partner’s ball for the second shot. One ball is selected and the players alternate shots until holed out.

Many of Maine’s professionals will get together along with a solid field from away at

Riverside for the 85th Maine Open Championship Aug.

13-15.

The event, sponsored by Charlie’s Auto Dealerships, will get under way with a Pro-Am on the 12, a major fund raiser for the MSGA Scholarship Fund.

The field will include 122 pros and 34 amateurs, with up to 32 teams in the Pro-Am.

Monday, Aug. 18 is the date for the annual Maine Golf Hall of Fame Special Olympics Tournament at Springbrook. Al Biondi says he has 17 teams signed up but hopes to have a full field of 30. Cost, which includes green fees, cart, awards and a post tourney buffet, is $300 for a team of four or $75 for individuals. Donations and raffle prizes are gratefully accepted, and tee placards are available at $100. The plan calls for Special Olympians to help teams with the putting on some greens. For details call Al Biondi at 946-5900 or Blaine Davis at 799-0983.

One of the best events of the summer is taking place today at Paris Hill. Harvey LaMontagne started the Maine Pee-Wee Championships nearly 20 years ago and it brings kids from all over the state each year. Wendy’s has taken over the sponsorship and each entrant will receive a membership in the club.

Ten and under will play nine holes while those from 11-13 will play 18. All kids have to have an adult caddy and there are trophies from boys and girls in each age category. Club manager Gail Josselyn said the next big event is the annual Dandy Granny and Grumpy Grampy tournament slated for Aug. 17. Call 207-743-2371 for details.

Congratulations are due to owners Arthur Little and Jann Leeming and their participants in the annual Scholarship Tournament at Province Lake. The event raised $27,720 for the fund that aids local students headed for college.

Finally, this week’s golf was played at Fox Ridge where another local fund raiser is in the works. The Second Annual Kenneth H. Sullivan Memorial Golf Tournament will benefit the Lewiston High and Edward Little golf teams scholarship fund. The date is Sept. 13, but it’s not too early to sign up, either at the club or by calling 777-4653.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.

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