Former Lewiston High School No. 1 golfer Cameron Marquis is eager to play in the 98th Maine State Golf Association Amateur Championship this week at Brunswick Golf Club.

“Yeah, I’m excited,” said the 22-year-old lifelong Lewiston resident who will be competing in his second Maine Amateur after being the medalist with a 68 in the June 20 qualifier at Poland Spring. “I’ve played Brunswick three times in practice rounds, and I think the course fits long ball hitters. “

Marquis was the No. 1 player on the Lewiston High golf squad before graduating in 2013. He alternated between No. 3 and 4 at the University of Southern Maine during his one year there. Now at Central Maine Community College, he is one semester from graduation, after which he is hoping to be accepted into a PGA apprentice program.

Because Marquis has worked at Fox Ridge for four seasons, he has an idea of what he would be getting into if he completes the PGA program. He is taking advice from the head pro at Fox Ridge, Jerry Diphilippo and the teaching pro, veteran Bob Darling. So, his guidance is coming from great sources.

In the 132-player Maine Amateur field will be 13 players from Sable Oaks, along with 10 apiece from Fox Ridge, Falmouth and Biddeford-Saco. Five past champions will be among the 132 with 13-time titlist Mark Plummer being the most prolific winner, followed by Ricky Jones (3), Ron Brown (2) and John Hayes IV and Andrew Slattery, one apiece. Slattery, who represented Martindale when he won the Amateur in 2012, is employed as an accountant in Portland, where he now resides and he is a member at Sable Oaks.

In addition to Marquis, the field includes Fox Ridge players Ted Strattman, Colby Gilbert, and Dylan Rodrigue, all of Lewiston; Matt Ouelette, Bob Langlois, Perry Goodspeed IV, and Craig Chapman, all of Auburn; plus Chris Cloutier of Lisbon, and Chris Taylor of West Gardner.

Martindale is sending four players — Will Kannegeiser of Minot, Joe Baker of Oxford and Brian Bilodeau and Jace Pearson, both of Auburn. Bridgton Highlands’ Tyler Walker of Bridgton, Norway’s Mike Brennan of Otisfield, and Poland Spring’s Larry Ross of New Gloucester will join two players from Turner Highlands — Mark Wilcoxe of Turner and Timothy Doyle of North Monmouth — in the Amateur.

Twelve of Maine’s 16 counties will have players at Brunswick, which last was the site of the Amateur in 1997.

Brunswick, founded in 1898 as the Bowdoin Club, but changed its name and became an 18-hole course in 1969.

The senior players in the tournament are a pair of 68-year-olds — Ron Brown, who plays out of Portland and Tom Kus of Palmyra, while the youngest is 14-year-old Armand Ouelette of Biddeford-Saco.

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In the MSGA Senior Tour event July 5 at Sable Oaks, it was a third place for Ricky Plummer of Summit Springs in 63-67 Gross (80/71), also for Rudy Plummer in 63-67 Net (83/68) and for the team of Vic Geaudreau of Poland Spring playing with Mike Napolitano Sr., John Hart and Paul L’Heurux (75/68).

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At the July 6 U.S,. Amateur qualifier at The Ledges, John Hayes shot the best Maine score with 72-75–147, followed by Jackson Wyman of South Freeport (75-73–148) and Reese McFarlane of Cape Elizabeth (74-74–148). None of those scores, however, qualified for the U.S. Amateur.

In that field were players from Canada and 10 U.S. states — Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Texas, California and Florida.

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Penobscot Valley has a 10-day special, which offers golfer the opportunity to play the course for $20, and that includes the cart fee. A special coupon needs to be presented and that can be accessed at newsletter@harrisgolfonline.com or by telephoning 866-2423. A $20 greens and cart fee is a great bargain at any course. The 10-day special concludes July 10.

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The MSGA Junior tour continues this week with events July 10 at Martindale, and July 11 at Turner Highlands for girls. On July 13 the New England PGA will conduct a junior tournament at Bath. The Weekend Tour is scheduled July 14 and 15 at Sugarloaf.

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