By Justin Pelletier,Staff Writer

PORTLAND – The final blow came swiftly.

With a one-shot lead at the turn, Kirk Hanefeld sank a 12-foot putt for eagle on the 10th hole and followed that by nearly holing out for eagle on No. 11. In a span of two holes Saturday, Hanefeld’s lead ballooned from one stroke to four.

Hanefeld fired the day’s best round – a 7-under-par 65 – and held off Rob Oppenheim and John Connelly to capture the 87th Charlie’s Maine Open at Riverside Municipal Golf Course. It was the second tournament win for the 49-year-old from Bolton, Mass., in three weeks. His three-day total of 20-under 196 is the lowest score since 1991 when Mike San Filippo shot 21-under at Riverside.

“I actually thought the number might have been lower,” said Hanefeld, who won for the second time in three years. “I think the scores were so low because the course was so hard on the first day and softened up a bit on the last day. Even the first hole, which is usually a legitimate par 5, was playing short for us this week.”

He beat Oppenheim and Connelly by three strokes.

Hanefeld did his part early, draining birdies on three of the first four holes to pass Oppenheim, the leader after two rounds.

“As good as John and Rob are, I thought I was in for a tough day,” said Hanefeld. “I got off to a good start, but got off to a bit of a lull on the front after that, until the back nine.”

During Hanefeld’s “lull,” neither Oppenheim nor Connelly could mount a charge.

“It’s not that I’m disappointed with the way that I played,” said Oppenheim. “He just played really well. I got beat this week.”

The tide shifted at the 10th hole. Oppenheim managed a birdie, and Connelly parred the short par-5. Hanefeld, meanwhile, dropped a 3-iron second shot 12 feet from the hole.

“I never went to look at the top of the hill,” said Hanefeld. “I knew I had to hit it just to the left of the flag pole up there, and I did that. I had 204 (yards) uphill and into the wind, and I had a 4-iron in my hand and dropped down to a 3-iron before I hit.”

After sinking the putt for eagle, Hanefeld took control on the 11th. Faced with a 140-yard approach shot, Hanefeld dropped the ball within two feet of the hole and tapped in for birdie. Oppenheim made bogey and Connelly parred. All of a sudden, Hanefeld had a four-shot lead.

“I really was able to relax there,” said Hanefeld. “The tournament wasn’t over, by any means, but the distance was nice.”

Hanefeld three-putted the 12th green, which had been in horrible condition all weekend, for his second bogey in three rounds, but birdied No. 13 to regain his edge. On the 15th hole, he put the tournament away with a 12-foot slider from left to right for birdie.

“I hit the 5-iron in there to about 10 or 12 feet,” said Hanefeld. “When that went in, I knew that unless I threw up on myself coming in, I knew I had it.”

Oppenheim and Connelly both finished at 17-under 199, to earn $3,500 for second place. Hanefeld’s winner’s cut was $6,500.

Last year’s low professional, Todd Westfall of Clendenin, W.Va., started to make a run on the front, with three birdies, but stagnated out back. Westfall finished at 14-under 202.

“I didn’t make any bogeys today, which is what I started out wanting to do,” said Westfall. “My putter wasn’t working, though. I just didn’t make the birdies that I needed to make.”

Jerry DiPhilippo of Gorham gave the large crowd following him something to cheer about down the stretch. After dropping two strokes to par early, DiPhilippo fired off three straight birdies on the back nine and finished with a 3-under 69. DiPhilippo’s three-day total of 202 was good for a tie for fifth place, with Westfall and Rich Parker of Lebanon, N.H.

Will Robinson of Cumberland finished off a spectacular week with a 3-under 69, giving him a three-day score of 10-under 206. He won the low amateur title by two strokes over Jesse Speirs of Bangor. Speirs reached four par-4 greens in one en route to a 67.

“I’ll remember the 64 forever, I think,” Robinson said of his first-round score that put him in second place at the time. “It was a lot better to finish with a 69 after the 73 on Friday.”

Mike Baker of Stratton finished at 9-under 207. Bob Darling, Jr. of Lewiston shot a final-round 73 to finish at 3-under 213, and former Martindale and Turner Highlands pro Ron Bibeau finished at 2-over 218.

Keegan Fennessy of Minot, the lone local amateur to make the cut, finished at 5-over 221.