CUMBERLAND – His friends and teammates on Maine’s junior golf team call him “Little.” The nickname does fit Eli Spaulding’s current size. It fails to capture his growing ability on the course.

Monday afternoon, in ideal conditions, the 5-foot-6, 120-pound Spaulding, who will be a sophomore at Freeport High, was far and away Maine’s best golfer at the New England Junior Amateur Championship, a team competition sponsored by the New England Golf Association that includes individual honors.

Spaulding shot a 2-under 69 in the morning round at Val Halla Golf and Recreation. He followed it up with a solid 1-over 72 in the afternoon and is alone in fifth place in the boys’ division, one of just five players to complete Monday’s 36-hole test under par. The final 18-hole round will be held Tuesday.

Ruby Haylock of Hartford, the 2020 Maine Women’s Amateur champion, enters the final round tied for sixth at 17-over, seven strokes behind MacKenzie Whitney of Massachusetts. Sister and Leavitt Area High School teammate Jade Haylock (28-over) and former Leavitt teammate Morghan Dutill (34-over) also played for Maine.

The girls’ team competition is up for grabs between Massachusetts (24-over), Rhode Island (26-over) and New Hampshire (29-over). Rhode Island (37-over), Maine (45-over) and Vermont (88-over) are off the pace.

Spaulding said he’s cool with the nickname, noting its origins come from his home Brunswick Golf Club where there was an older junior player named Eli, thus he was Little Eli, which became Little.

“I feel like my game’s almost transferring to the point where, I don’t know, I just guess people can still call me Little Eli but I’ll show up. I’ll play well,” Spaulding said.

Ben James of Milford, Connecticut, a strapping 18-year-old who won the tournament in 2018 and 2019 (2020 was pandemic canceled), leads the field at 9-under, shooting rounds of 67 and 66. James will sign his national letter of intent to play at the University of Virginia in November and has been ranked as high as 179th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“You don’t get to play many team golf matches and it’s awesome. You’re with your friends and it’s a great golf course and good competition,” James said when asked why he returned to the event.

Three Massachusetts 17-year-olds, Colin Spencer of Mashpee (8-under), John Broderick of Wellsley (7-under) and Weston James of Sudbury (3-under ), were the only other players to be under par for the day. Broderick was the 2020 Mass Junior Player of the Year and, with a year of high school left, has committed to play for Vanderbilt. James will play at Rutgers this fall. Spencer, who will be a senior in high school, is undecided.

On the tee, Spaulding throws all of his weight into his shot, actually coming off the ground with his front (left) foot at impact. But his top tournament distance of 260-265 yards is well shy of what the older boys are hitting.

“Every golfer is going to be different so you’re going to play against kids who drive it really long but you can always stick it inside of them, get it closer, and make your putts,” Spaulding said

Spaulding used that formula earlier this month when he won the Maine Junior Amateur with a 66-75-141, four shots better than 14-year-old runner-up Kellen Adickes of Bristol and six shots ahead of 16-18 age bracket winner Parker Hilchey of St. George.

“He’s a special player,” Hilchey said. “Consistency is the best word to describe it. He’s just automatic. He knows where the golf ball is going to go and that’s why he’s playing the way he is.”

Each state brings seven boys and three girls to the NEGA’s junior championship, first contested in 1967. Girls joined the competition in 2019. The boys count their five best scores. All three girls’ scores are counted toward their team total.

Massachusetts’ boys are a combined 18-under and have a commanding 22-shot lead over Connecticut (4-over), followed by Rhode Island (29-over), Maine (44-over), Vermont (53-over) and New Hampshire (55-over).

Hilchey and Connor Albert of North Yarmouth both shot 75-77 and are in a four-way tie for 19th at 10-over. T.J. Whelan of Freeport (12-over), Bennet Berg of Portland (14-over), Adickes (15-over) and George Fahey of Scarborough (17-over) rounded out Maine’s boys’ scores.

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