Celebration, Fourth of July style, came to Maine a week early.
There is no question that the Live and Work in Maine Open at the Falmouth Country Club on June 24-27 was a gala event. Considering that it was the first Korn Ferry Tour tournament ever held in Maine, it was a huge success.
Bill Kennedy, Golf Columnist Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
Because there are not a lot of people residing in Maine (1.3 million), and many Mainers do not play golf, there were people who wondered if a professional tournament of this magnitude would work in The Pine Tree State. The crowds at the tournament, plus the $108,000 check contributed to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital proved decisively that the Korn Ferry Tour can prosper in Vacationland.
“My observation is that the event felt like a tour event,” said Brian Bickford, executive director of the Maine State Golf Association, likening it to a PGA Tour tournament.
“Organization from parking to the course was well-organized. The volunteers were well-trained and courteous. And the course marshals did a great job of managing crowds without being too intrusive.”
“Golf,” he added, “is so much better in person when you’ve seen players ‘live’ and you know the layout of the holes. Truly awesome.”
Bickford’s remarks were appreciated by Kristin Isfield of Portland, who headed up the tournament’s volunteer corps of nearly 300 people.
Isfield was hoping that the outstanding work of the volunteers did not go unnoticed, and it did not.
“It was amazing,” she said. “We had so many quality people.”
That should come as a surprise to no one, because quality human beings and golf are synonymous, and golf — from pros to amateurs to hackers — always has been known as a sport played by extremely generous and considerate people.
Brian Corcoran, founder and CEO of Shamrock Sports & Entertainment, which ran the tournament, was given an opportunity comment on the success of the Live and Work in Maine Open.
“Our team has been sweating it out,” he said, “tearing down a very big tournament operation.”
Chad Ramey of Fulton, Mississippi, with a 16-under-par 268, won his first professional championship in the Open, which gives him a 2021-22 PGA Tour card. Maine’s Shawn Warren of Falmouth (69-73—even) and Caleb Manual of Brunswick (85-73—plus-16) did not make the cut.
There are four more years in the contract that has this Korn Ferry Tour event booked at Falmouth, so Maine golf fans can look forward to seeing quality professional golf in this state through the 2025 season.
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The MSGA junior schedule includes tournaments July 6, July 8 and July 9-10 at Sheepscot.
Bill Kennedy, a retired New Jersey golf writer and editor, now residing on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, is in his ninth season as Sun Journal golf columnist.
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