Jack Wyman will not be back to go for a third straight Maine Amateur championship when the tournament is played July 9-11 at Portland Country Club. The 28-year old Wyman went pro last winter, and is enjoying the new challenge.
“I just felt like it was a now or never thing,” Wyman said. “I wanted to see how I responded to being pro. I was pretty happy with my decision, once I did it.”
Wyman had nothing left to prove as an amateur player. Along with his back-to-back wins in the Maine Amateur, Wyman was the low amateur player in Charlie’s Maine Open last year and in 2017. Last summer, Wyman placed sixth at the New England Amateur Championship, and played in the US Amateur Championship last August at Pebble Beach.
Wyman began his pro career playing PGA Tour qualifying tournaments in the South, as well as some mini-tour events. Wyman’s most recent tournament was close to home, the New Hampshire Open, last week. Wyman was 5-under par for the three-day tournament, and tied for 11th place.
“I kind of struggled early in the spring, but I’m seeing more promising play now,” Wyman said.
The biggest adjustment, Wyman found, was not adjusting much at all. Wyman said as he began playing professional tournaments, he’d let the fact that now he was playing for money get into his head a little.
“Once you turn pro, you feel like you have to do different things, but it’s the same game,” Wyman said. “I care more about playing well and scoring well. The money, that kind of takes care of itself if you play well.”
Coming up, Wyman will play in a Monday Web.com Tour qualifier, and he plans to again play in the Charlie’s Maine Open at Augusta Country Club, August 20-21. In the fall, Wyman will play in Q School, the qualifying tournament for the PGA Tour.
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Last year, Cape Elizabeth’s Reese McFarlane became the first Mainer in 24 years to win the New England Amateur championship. That victory earned McFarlane a spot in the Northeast Amateur Invitational, which was played last week at Wannamoisett Country Club in East Providence, Rhode Island.
The four-round tournament ended Saturday. With a plus-8 215 over the first three rounds, McFarlane just missed the cut. His best round was a 1-under 68 in the second round.
McFarlane recently completed his junior season playing for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington golf team. McFarlane placed fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association championship to help the Seahawks take the team title.
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The final qualifying tournament for the Maine Amateur Championship is set for Thursday at Waterville Country Club. Eighty-seven players will play one round, with 24 spots in the Maine Amateur at stake.
Twenty-nine players qualified at Biddeford-Saco Country Club on June 13, with 32 more earning a spot in the Maine Am field at Poland Spring Golf Club. The Poland Springs qualifier was halted due to rain last Thursday and completed Monday, with Chris King and Will Kannegieser each shooting 70 to lead the field. Forty-seven players earned exemptions into the Maine Am field.
This year’s Maine Amateur is the 100th tournament, and will be played at Portland Country Club. This is the 14th time the Portland Country Club will host the Maine Am, and first since 2011.
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