Will Kannegieser has mixed emotions about finishing one shot behind the champion, Caleb Manuel of Brunswick, in the Maine Amateur championship that was held July 13-15 at Kebo Valley.

“It was tough being close, but not getting the job done,” he said of his three-round scores of 73-70-69—212, his best finish in the state Amateur. “But I’d rather be in the hunt than not.”

Kannegieser also is in the hunt for the Dr. Leonardo Buck Player of the Year Award, with 695 points, which gives him the lead. His runner-up finish in the Amateur elevated him from fourth place to first in those standings.

He will have more opportunities to pick up points when he pays in The Maine Event (next month at Waterville). He finished third in the inaugural Maine Event last year. Also, he plans on being in the Mixed Championship (Aug. 1 at Willowdale) with his mother, Kristin Kannegieser. The mixed is a tournament they have won twice, 2018 at Cape Arundel and 2019 at Fairlawn. If he can schedule it around work, he would compete in the MSGA Match Play Championship (Aug. 3-5 at Fox Ridge).

Having graduated from Williams College in June of 2020, Kannegieser is employed as a consultant for Foreside Financial in Portland, so he has been playing golf at Martindale or Portland either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. He has been with Foreside since February, after doing an internship there earlier in the winter.

The dual golf club membership has been going on for five years, and it is a family thing — his parents are members of both. Kannegieser lives with them in Minot.

Also on his schedule was the New England Amateur Championship, held July 20-22, at the Great River Country Club in Milford, Conn., where he made the cut and finished tied for 19th with a 71-77-77—219.

At Williams, Kannegieser was a member of both the golf and Alpine ski teams. In golf, he qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but it was not held because of COVID-19. In skiing, he won six FIS races.

Sun Journal circulation area golf clubs did not fare well in the Maine Amateur. Former Martindale member Andrew Slattery (72-73-73—218) tied for sixth, but no others finished in the top 20. Jordan Jones of Fox Ridge (78-74-73—225) and Joe Baker of Norway (73-75-77—225) tied for 22nd.

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Two out-of-staters won qualifier positions July 19 at The Ledges for the 121st U.S. Amateur Championship. Cole Anderson of Camden shot 70-72—142 to earn a spot as the second alternate.

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Players from area golf clubs made a strong showing in the MSGA Women’s Amateur July 19-21 at Bangor Municipal.

Ruby Haylock of Turner Highlands (75-75-75—225) finished second, while Kristin Kannegieser of Martindale (74-74-78—226) was third and Leslie Guenther of Mingo Springs (80-77-76—233) was fourth.

Jade Haylock of Turner Highlands (85-78-80—243) won Flight 2, and Danielle Rock of Martindale (83-79-87—249) won Flight 3.

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The MSGA has its Mixed Championship Aug. 1 at Willowdale, and women’s play days July 27 at Bath and Jato Highlands.

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