LEEDS — Winning the state’s premier amateur golf tournaments earlier this month was not enough for Leavitt senior-to-be Jade Haylock and recent Freeport graduate Eli Spaulding.

Both were at Springbrook Golf Club on Tuesday playing in the Maine Junior Championships, and both ended the day in first place.

“It’s awesome, I’ve known Eli for such a long time now. We grew up playing junior golf together, and it’s just awesome to watch him succeed,” Haylock said. “And then for myself be right there with him, it’s special.”

Spaulding, who won the Maine Amateur at Purpoodock earlier this month, shot a 65 to finish 7 under par and five strokes ahead of Kellen Adickes in the boys 16-18 division.

“This tournament means a lot to me, being the Maine Junior, even though I won the Maine Am, I was still going into this with not a ton of confidence, and just telling myself anything can happen,” Spaulding said.

Spaulding said his highlight of the day was shooting birdie on the 18th hole, especially after two tough bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes.

“Made a good birdie there and then just kind of kept the momentum going on the front,” Spaulding said. “(I) hit a lot of greens and short game was pretty solid, and then made a bunch of birdie shots and made the turn.”

Haylock, the 2024 Women’s Amateur champion, is first in the girls 16-18 division after shooting an even-par 72. She said she came out strong on the front nine, which helped her confidence throughout the afternoon.

“I wish that my wedge game was just a little bit better,” Haylock said. “I had a lot of 40- to 80-yard shots coming into the green, and I felt like I just couldn’t stick them close enough.”

Jade Haylock tees off on the 10th hole during Tuesday’s Maine Junior Championship golf tournament at Springbrook Golf Club in Leeds. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Haylock triple-bogeyed the 11th hole, which she said got into her head for the remaining seven holes, though she managed pars on each one.

Haylock and Spaulding, who have both won three MPA Class B championships, each take big leads into the second and final day of the tournament Wednesday. Haylock, who had three birdies and no bogeys other than the triple on 11, leads Carley Iannetta and Elizabeth Holden by nine strokes.

Spaulding said he reminded himself Tuesday that it was anyone’s day to score low.

“As I got here today, you just can’t really put a score into your head,” Spaulding said. “You’ve just got to go out and basically try and make birdie on every single hole. The course is pretty short, pretty easy. It’s pretty easy to kind of have a lot of pretty looks, I think, you just can’t get too far ahead of yourself.

“It’s easy to do if you when you start off hot, like my 5-under front nine, you’d be thinking, what happens if I go another five on the back, you know, but you’ve kind of just got to keep trusting your game.”

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

Jade Haylock’s 9:30 a.m. group included some familiar faces — Holden, who will be a senior at Lawrence this fall, and Iannetta, a senior-to-be at Falmouth.

“Carly and I have played quite a few rounds together, and I think Elizabeth and I have played in one tournament a couple of years ago together, but it was fun,” Haylock said. “I love playing with them.”

Both Holden and Iannetta said they were not thrilled with their performances Tuesday, each finishing at 9 over, but had high hopes for the rest of the tournament.

“Not all my clubs were working together, they were on and off,” Iannetta said. “My chipping was the best today, and it could have been better, but it could have been worse.”

Holden said her putting was not where she wanted it to be, which made it difficult for punch shots.

In the boys 7:30 a.m. group, Spaulding played the 18 holes with a pair of recent Messalonskee grads — Garrett Giguere and Jacob Moody, and a rising senior at Brunswick, Will Farschon.

Eli Spaulding launches his ball up onto the green during Tuesday’s Maine Junior Championship golf tournament at Springbrook Golf Club in Leeds. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Farschon is tied for 15th with a 4 over, while Giguere is tied for 27th at 9 over and Moody is tied for sixth place at 2 over.

“I felt OK. I mean, I had a triple and a double, which did sting, but other than that it was not that bad,” Moody said. “The greens I couldn’t really figure out, they’re a little slower than I’m used to, but other than that it was decent.”

Farschon said it’s been good to play with “some of the best competition in Maine,” and find out how he stacks up.

Behind Adickes, who shot a 2-under 70, James Marr and Austin Gould are tied for third at 1 under in the boys 16-18 division.

For the boys 14-15 group, Ryan Savona is in first at 1 over, Greyson Dooley (2 over) is in second and Gavin Jackson is third at 7 over. Kaydence Allarie, the only girls 14-15 competitor, shot a plus-39.

Sam Sirois leads the boys 12-13 with a 1-over 73. Drew Mertzel (2 over) is third and Ryan Irish (4 over) is third.