PORTLAND – Rob Oppenheim may be on a roll on the Cleveland Tour, and his 63 on Friday did vault him into the lead of the 87th Charlie’s Maine Open at Riverside Municipal Golf Course on Friday, but he has a lot of company.
Oppenheim led all golfers at 14-under par after his 63, but former champion Kirk Hanefeld fired a 64 and last year’s low professional and reigning TD Banknorth Portland Open champion, Todd Westfall managed a 65 to lead a crowd of challengers into today’s final round.
“I know from playing in the Portland Open that there are a lot of birdies out here,” said Oppenheim. “You have to shoot low to do well at this tournament. I play pretty aggressive, and I think that’s what you need to do out here to win.”
Also near the top are several players that went low Thursday and leveled out Friday. Among those is John Connelly of Oregon, Ohio, and first-round leader Brent Wanner of Orleans, Mass.
“Both days so far I made a move late on the front nine and played well on the back,” said Connelly. “Yesterday I couldn’t miss. I had seven birdies on the back. Today I had four birdies and no bogeys. I’ve played this course enough to know it, and I just stayed patient and let the round happen.”
Connelly spent 2004 on the Nationwide Tour as a player with conditional status, but “didn’t do very well.”
“This year, I’ve played in every event on the Cleveland Tour and every event I can think of up here,” said Connelly. “A lot of people have been going low. There’s been a low score every week out here, so I guess that’s a good thing. Now that I’ve got two low ones, it feels good.”
Wanner slowed down a bit Friday after a blazing 63, but still shot a 69 to remain in contention two shots behind at 132.
“I had it to 5-under for the round on the back, but the putts I was making yesterday stopped falling today,” said Wanner. “The good thing is that the 69 was about as badly as I could have played today.”
Hanefeld turned in a late 64 to finish at 131, one behind Oppenheim and tied with Connelly.
“People should start calling this Patience Golf Club,'” said Hanefeld, who won the event in 2003. “You really feel like you can make 18 birdies on this course, but when you turn around you never do. If you’re patient out here, though, a bunch can happen in a row, and then you’re in good shape.”
Will Robinson, the 18-year-old Greely graduate also stayed steady if not spectacular, finishing his second round at 73 for a two-day total of 137. Robinson is the low amateur through two days and will have a chance to become the second consecutive amateur champion this afternoon. On his heels for the amateur title is two-time Maine Amateur champion Ricky Jones.
Also lurking close is Westfall, who was also the low professional last year when amateur Shawn Warren of Windham won. His card showed eight birdies, an eagle and three bogeys, giving him a 65 following a first round 69 for a two-day total of 134.
Despite soft conditions all morning long, and no sunshine until a few minutes past noon, the best scores of the day came later in the day. The lowest round recorded by a golfer playing only in the morning was Rich Parker’s 66. Parker, of Lebanon, N.H., was in the day’s second group. In the first group, Brennan Webb followed his 64 from Day 1 with a 71. He shared the morning lead with Parker with a two-day total of 135.
The low Maine professional in the morning rounds was Mike Baker, the head professional at Sugarloaf Country Club in Carabasset Valley. Baker fired a 69, matching his first-round score to finish the first two days of the tournament at 138, eight off the lead.
“I had some putts today that missed the hole, and I had to stand back and look and wonder how the ball got to where it was without going in,” said Baker. “I had an eagle on 10 and a bogey on 11, and then I parred in.”
Baker’s eagle on the short par-5, 10th hole was his second in as many days. A par on the par-5 13th typified his day, though.
“I hit a great drive in there and was in the bunker in two,” said Baker. “I came out with only a par. Especially when you have things going and you’re under par, you want to take advantage of holes like that.”
Baker also missed a short birdie putt on the 17th hole.
“I felt like a 4-year-old could have made that putt,” said Baker. “I don’t know how it missed.”
Despite a bit of disappointment, though, Baker was cautiously optimistic.
“I can’t make everything up in one day, I suppose,” said Baker. Now I have to wait and hope no one else goes really low. I would have liked to creep up a bit more, though.”
After a first-round 68, Bob Darling, Jr. of Lewiston and Fox Ridge Golf Club in Auburn managed an even-par 72, putting him 10 back at 140. Ron Bibeau is one back of Darling at 141.
Keegan Fennessy, a student at Poland Regional High School and a resident of Minot, followed his first round 74 with a 1-under-par 71, giving him a 145 for two days. Fennessy made the amateur cut and will play this morning.
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