Par for the Course: Warren takes lead with second win on Exotics Tour

With the Exotics Tour Pro-Am Series event No. 4 having been held this past Tuesday at Sunday River, No. 5 is on tap Sept. 23 at Falmouth.

That would not seem newsworthy on its own. However, more than 20 entries already are submitted for the Falmouth tournament.

“This is really starting to take off,” said Johnny Johnston of Harris Golf, who is the founder and director of the tour. “We had a great tournament at Sunday River and anticipate an even better one for Falmouth.”

An Exotics-record 42 teams completed at Sunday River, which is not an easy drive for most of the teams in that field. For that reason, Johnston is predicting that there could be as many as 50 teams at Falmouth for No. 5. Plus, he has not yet begun to make telephone calls to recruit players and foursomes.

“The biggest problem we will have at Falmouth is sunlight,” Johnston said. “Getting everyone done before the sun sets will be a challenge.”

The Sunday River event was won by Shawn Warren of Falmouth, who captured his second title of the season by shooting 69 and earning the $3,000 first prize, plus $308.33 in skins and team money. Warren was the overall Exotics Tour money leader in 2013 and currently leads the 2014 season in prize money.

Second place with 70 went to Rich Berberian of Windham, N.H., who pocketed $1,137.50. Third was lefty Ron Kelton of the Portland area, who shot 71 and made $975. There was a three-way tie for fourth at even-par 72 between Scott Hacker of West Appleton ($725), Jimmy Gilleon of Bethel ($1,008.33) and Casey Cox of Webhannet ($800). At seventh place were four players who shot 73: Andrew Lebrecque of Sunday River ($477.50), Leon Oliver of Bath ($477.50), Dave Grygiel of TNT Driving Range ($315) and Jerry Dephilippo of Portland ($340)

Another reason for a larger field at Falmouth could be one of economics. Players who compete in three of the five regular season events on the tour become eligible for the reduced entry fee to the Oct. 1 tour championship at Old Marsh. They would pay $395, as opposed to players who do not qualify for that rate and must pay $595. The winner of that event walks away with a check for $15,000, which is what makes that tournament the highlight of the Exotics Tour campaign.

The season totals are eye-opening, when one considers that pro golfers in Maine are making good money in mini-tour tournaments held at the Harris Golf courses. Warren is the No. 1 money-winner on the tour with $7,852.34 won in four tournaments. Berberian is second with $4,467.50, and in third place is Tim Demarais of Purpoodock having earned a total of $3,810.40. Each of them has won an Exotics event this season.

The remainder of the top 10 in money includes: 4. JJ Harris of Penobscot Valley ($1,957.50), 5. Ryan Gay of Augusta ($1,548.71). 6. Michael Hersey of Samoset ($1,336.87). 7. Oliver of Bath ($1,319,15). 8. Chad Hopkins, Hopkins Golf School ($1,250). 9. Sean Gorgone, Portland area ($1,162.50). 10. Gilleon, Bethel ($1,008.33).

Tourney canceled

The Ninth Annual Fenn-Ross Tournament scheduled for Sept 4, as a fundraiser for the Poland Spring Preservation Society, has been canceled for lack of numbers. That event traditionally is held in the spring and originally was scheduled for May 18.

Due to the harsh winter, course conditions at Poland Spring, as well as at many Maine clubs, prevented the tournament to be played at its traditional time, and the earliest Poland Spring course opening after that was Sept. 4, which proved to be too late in the season for the Fenn-Ross to attract its normal and sizable field.

Many players in the Fenn-Ross donned old-time apparel, meaning women wore dresses from the early 1900s with voaters and sunhats, while the men had on high socks along with plus-four pants with jackets and ties, plus early 20th-century caps, a la Ben Hogan. Golf clubs with hickory shafts were used for driving, fairway play and putting on specified holes.

That is golf history and tradition at its best from the nation’s oldest resort golf course (golf first was played at Poland Spring on July 30,1896), all of which will be missed, hopefully for just one year.