OAKLAND – It wasn’t an even par round again, but considering tougher pin locations, seemingly faster greens and impending bad weather, not to mention an 11-year layoff since her last attempt at the Maine Women’s Amateur Championship, Lori Frost was pretty happy with a 3-over-par 76 on Tuesday.

The rest of the field may not be so happy to be looking so far ahead to the leader.

Frost fired a 76 on Tuesday despite three bogies and a double bogey to open up a five-stroke lead on second place Pennie Cummings, herself a five-time champion who plays out of Springbrook.

“I’m very happy with the 76,” Frost said as the rain started to fall on the players’ heads just after the final group finished up on the 18th green. “I’m not so happy about how I got it, though. Let’s just say I am glad I have a short game now.”

Several of Frost’s pars came as a result of a solid chip after an approach shot missed the green and got tangled in the thick rough now starting to bend over itself all the way around the course.

“I’d like to go tee to fairway to green and two-putt every time,” Frost said. “This rough is pretty thick, but unfortunately I found it too often for my liking today.”

Cummings, on the other hand, couldn’t miss the fairways on the back nine, on which she played lights out for the second straight day.

“I had an even-par 36 on the back (Monday),” Cummings said. “And I was more comfortable out there again today (another even-par 36). The rough out here is very difficult and I found it a lot on the front side, which is why I shot so high on the front. It hurts you so much to be in it.”

After starting the back nine with a bogey to go six over on her round, Cummings birdies the par-5 eleventh and parred out to remain five strokes behind Frost.

Tiffany Shoppe of Northeast Harbor, in second place after Monday’s first round, faltered a bit on Tuesday when she started spraying her driver off to the right.

“I didn’t play at all today,” Shoppe said. “My driver got me in a lot of trouble.”

Even when she tried to use her 3-wood instead of her driver, Shoppe couldn’t find the fairway.

“I don’t know what else to do except hope I can hit the ball off the tee better (Wednesday),” Shoppe said. “It was such a roller coaster today, with some good, some bad, some good, some bad, and then I finished O.K.”

Frost, Cummings and Shoppe will again be playing together in the final group on Wednesday. The last time Frost played, 11 years ago at Springbrook, she was also paired with Cummings, who won the tournament.

Cummings was the last person to win the WMSGA Championship other than Abby Spector until two years ago at Sugarloaf, when Alyssa Hayes of Purpoodock held on for the win.

Speaking of Spector, the defending champion birdied two of her final three holes on Tuesday to manage an 85, good for 11th place overall heading into the final day.

“I was well on my way to a 95 after a few holes,” Spector said. “I’ve played better on the back nine this week, though.”

Spector said she felt only minor pain from her lingering injuries that “a little Advil” fixed before she teed off.

Emily Allen of Turner, meanwhile, started the day just five off the pace but struggled to a 9-over-par 82. Still, she will be in the next-to-last group on Wednesday in fourth place, and will start 11 shots out of the lead.

“I can’t worry about what everyone else will do,” Allen said. “I figure if I can shoot in the low-to-mid 70’s I might have a chance, but that is all I can control. I made a lot of up-and-downs (Tuesday) and hopefully I can hit fairways (Wednesday) to go along with that.”

Leslie Guenther of Norway Country Club will also play in the second-to-last group with Allen, as will Waterville golfer Marie Blanchette. Spector will tee off at 9:04 a.m, three groups behind the leaders.

The final two groups will tee off at 9:22 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. respectively.