CUMBERLAND — Once again, ignorance was bliss for Will Kannegieser.

Coming down the final fairway Wednesday, the Minot resident didn’t know his status in the final round of the Maine Junior Amateur Championship.

Like last year, what he didn’t know didn’t get in the way of claiming a second consecutive title with a final round score of 74. That was enough to edge out Bangor’s Drew Powell, who finished two strokes back.

Kannegieser shot 3-under 33 on the back nine to rally from behind. He even sank a birdie putt on the final hole — even though he didn’t need it. His two-day score was 144. Powell was at 146.

“I thought I had to make that putt,” Kannegieser said. “I legitimately thought that if he made birdie, I had to make it to force a playoff. When he made it, I was happy for him, of course, but it put a lot of pressure on me, but I was able to do it.”

The margin for error wasn’t as slim as Kannegieser thought. A year ago, Kannegieser didn’t know his birdie putt on the final hole was for the title. He calmly sank that one for the win, only to learn afterwards how badly he needed the putt.

“Once again, good thing I didn’t know,” he said of his two-shot lead. “I thought it was only one. I was convinced it was only one. I must have counted wrong.”

Kannegieser is the second consecutive golfer to earn back-to-back titles. Austen Truslow won in 2011 and 2012. Drew Kane was third after a second round 72. He finished at 148. Christopher Billings finished at 151 with last year’s runner-up, Luke Ruffing of Manchester, at 152 in fifth.

“I’m so glad I could win it again before I have to move on,” said Kannegieser, a senior at Gould, who won’t be in the junior field next year.

It took a strong finish to secure the win after nearly watching the tournament slip away on the front nine. Two bogeys and a pair of doubles had his round in jeopardy. Both he and Powell finished the front at 41, putting Kannegieser one stroke back after being up by as many as four.

“I tried to keep my mindset focused on making one putt,” Kannegieser said. “I was able to block everything else out and really just focus on just playing.”

Powell had a bogey on No. 12 to make them even. Then Kannegieser had back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15. Powell had a pair of bogeys on 16 and 17. He finished with a birdie putt on 18. Kannegieser matched that birdie putt with his own to secure the two-shot win.

“I made some big putts early and I made some big putts coming down the stretch,” Kannegieser said. “My putter was working great these last few days. That’s why I won.”

Powell had the lead after the first round with a 69, but Kannegieser was just one shot back coming.

Kannegieser started his round with a birdie and survived the first three holes. Powell bogeyed the third hole and then carded a disastrous 9 on No. 4.

“The first three holes were the tough ones,” Kannegieser said. “I got through those first ones at one-under. I was thinking it was going to be smooth sailing and then it went the opposite way on No. 9.”

After the double bogey on the ninth hole, Kannegieser knew he had to refocus. He tried a simple approach on the back nine.

“It was tough because I was letting it slip away there on the front,” Kannegieser said. “I was pleased I was able to let go of whatever emotions I built up on the front. I was able to just go out and make putts on the back and stay solid.”

His goal was to just make the putts he needed on the back. Though he missed his chance on the 13th hole, his birdies on 14 and 15 turned things around.

“I just had to make one birdie — make one putt,” he said. “I took that approach to 13 and it didn’t quite work. I got to 14, and I made the putt. On 15, I had the same mindset going and made it. On 16, it was the same and 17 was the same. On 18, when he made his putt, I was pretty sure I had to make that to force a playoff. Turns out, I had a one-shot cushion.”

Though Powell had two birdies on the back, his 9 on the front and back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 foiled his chances.

“I think Drew, by far, was the most consistent on the front and most of the back, except for the nine,” Kannegieser said. “He played pretty fabulously. He was really solid.”

Kannegieser will be playing in the Foon Cup in Cape Cod this weekend. Next week is the Maine Match Play Invitational at Sable Oaks. Then comes the New England Junior Amateur in Rhode Island later this month.

Though Kannegieser is interested in playing golf in college, he’s also looking for a school that would allow him to compete in Division I skiing.

“I can play golf the rest of my life,” he said. “I know I can’t ski. So I’d like to be able to do as much as I can while I can.”

On the girls’ side, Fairfield’s Kelsie Dessent won with a final score of 159. She shot a 77 Wednesday to beat out Erin Holmes and her 173. Cape Elizabeth’s Lauren Schonewolf shot a final-round 91, but won by one stroke, 169-170, over Bailey Plourde in the 13-14 age group.

In the boys’ 13-14 group, Ryan Collins won by two strokes with a 157. Thomas Higgins finished second at 159.

In the 12-and-under group, Ryder Henry finished with an 85 and beat Evan Glicos by three strokes. Henry and Glicos were tied at 43 after the first round. Henry shot a 42 Wednesday. Glicos shot a 45.

kmills@sunjournal.com

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