CUMBERLAND — The farthest drive isn’t always the determining factor in a golf tournament, but Logan Thompson can lay claim to one of the farthest in this year’s Maine Junior Championship at Val Halla Golf Course.

Thompson, who made the trek from Lincoln, shot a 1-over 73 to take a two-shot lead after Tuesday’s first round in the two-day, 36-hole tournament.

“You got to make it worth it I guess,” Thompson said of the nearly 200-mile drive from Lincoln to Cumberland.

Thompson also made his drives from the tee well worth it.

“I was hitting my driver really well. I put myself in good spots,” Thompson said. “I think I missed maybe one or two fairways with my driver all day. So I just gave myself a good chance to like attack on every hole pretty much.”

Thompson was up and down to finish up his front nine. After playing 1-over through five holes, he birdied both the sixth and seventh holes, then bogeyed the eighth and ninth. He got back to even with a birdie on the 10th hole.

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He finished up his round with a birdie on the par-3 17th and par on the par-5 18th.

“I played really well,” Thompson said. “I stayed out of trouble. Got some bogeys, but made up for it with some birdies. Stayed pretty consistent, so it was fun.”

Thomas Higgins, from Cape Elizabeth, held second by himself after shooting a 3-over 75, totaling two birdies and five bogeys.

Three players were tied for third at three shots back, including defending champion Austin Legge and defending 13-14 year-old division champion Caleb Manuel, as well as Andover, Massachusetts native John Witt.

“I felt pretty good about it,” Legge, also from Cape Elizabeth, said of his opening round. “I feel pretty confident knowing that I’m probably not going to be too far back off the lead. Same thing happened last year. I was 4-over, five shots back from the lead last year. And this year I was 4-over. I feel pretty confident because I did it once. I just am hoping to put up a good round tomorrow and see what happens.”

Legge and Manuel started the day off at 7 a.m. He’ll start his second round later on Wednesday, teeing off at 11 a.m.

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“I do expect it to be a lot different tomorrow,” said Legge, who had a “comfortable” first round. “We’re not going to be playing in the dew. It’s going to be dry, and it’s going to be hot too.”

Auburn’s AJ Parisi could have been hunting for the lead the way he finished his first round. If only a bad stretch on the front nine hadn’t put him in a big hole before ending his day with a 12-over 84.

“It wasn’t too fun,” Parisi said. “The first four holes I played pretty well. But then five through nine I just kind of hit bad tee shot after bad tee shot, which led to trouble and just couldn’t get out of it.”

Parisi shot even-par on the back nine, but was over-par on seven of the first nine holes, including a triple bogey on the fifth and double bogeys on the sixth, eighth and ninth holes.

“It kind of snowballed,” Parisi said. “I tried to contain it, but it just didn’t work out too well. Every time I tried to fix something to try and make it better, it just turned out worse.”

The St. Dominic Academy student parred the 10th, then finished string with birdies on two of the last three holes.

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“I kind of just said ‘you know what? Behind me, can’t do anything about it.’ I hit a good tee shot on 10, just kind of kept on going,” Parisi said.

Lewiston’s Alex Robert was two shots behind Parisi at 14-over, and Auburn’s Justin Keaney was two shots back from there at 88. Martindale Country Club’s Evan Glicos, who is from Windham, was also 14-over.

Keaney said his round, which ended with a triple bogey on the 18th, “could have been better.”

That sentiment was shared by Bailey Plourde in the girls’ division. The scores, however, were at different ends of the spectrum.

Plourde, from Newcastle, shot a 3-over 75 to hold a one-shot lead over Cumberland native Erin Holmes.

“Some holes I wasn’t liking, but in the end it came out good,” Plourde said. “I’m hoping I’ll come back and have a better day. There’s not a lot of room (for error), which scares me. Hopefully I can come out and shoot well.”

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The Lincoln Academy student said her putting held back what could have been a better score. Holmes, on the other hand, said putting saved her.

Being a Val Halla member worked to Holmes’ advantage.

“I didn’t really play the course well,” Holmes said. “But I putted really well. I think just knowing the greens really helped today in general.”

Defending girls’ division champion Lauren Schonewolf, from Cape Elizabeth, and North Yarmouth’s Rachel Smith both shot 78s and sit in a tie for third.

“It was a 78 with a triple and a double for me. So I guess I’ll take it,” Schonewolf said. “Definitely some saves on the back nine.”

Lewiston’s Stephanie Rodrigue shot an 8-over 82 to sit seven shots back from Plourde.

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Still, “anyone could win,” according to Holmes, who is hoping to use her home-course advantage. Smith is also a course member — as well as the daughter of the course’s owners and the namesake for the course’s restaurant — and someone Holmes and Schonewolf said to look out for.

“Tomorrow’s a big moving day,” Schonewolf said. “Things are going to shake up tomorrow I think.”

Saco’s Armand Ouellete holds a two-shot lead over two other players in the boys’ 13-14 division. Ouellette shot an 11-over 83 to distance himself from Ryder Henry and Nick McGonagle, who both shot 85s.

In the 12-and-under division, St. George’s Parker Hilchey shot a 6-over 43 on the back nine to take a three-shot lead over Alden Griffiths. North Turner native Mia Hornberger has sole possession of third after shooting a nine-hole score of 48.

wkramlich@sunjournal.com


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