BRUNSWICK — It takes completing 54 holes to win the Maine Amateur Golf Championship. Jack Wyman put himself in position to earn that win with 18 holes still to play, thanks in part to how he did in an eight-hole stretch.

Wyman, who was tied for second at 3-under after the first round, shot a 4-under-par 68 in Wednesday’s second round to take the outright lead at Brunswick Golf Club.

The Portland Country Club member made his move on the front nine Wednesday, starting with a birdie on the first hole. He followed that with consecutive birdies on the third and fourth holes, then three more in a row on holes six through eight.

“I played the front nine great. I was really feeling it,” Wyman said. “Just everything (was working). The putter was going. It was fun.”

Wyman said he missed a close putt on the ninth hole that would have put him 7-under at the turn. He got that far under par with a birdie on the 14th, but bogeys on three of the last four holes pushed him back up to 4-under.

“I stumbled at the end unfortunately,” Wyman said. “I’m still in a good position.”

The 26-year-old came close to breaking the course’s championship-tee record of 66, and knocked on the door of the club record of 64.

Wyman said he was “definitely” aware of the record during his round.

Sam Grindle gave up his first-round lead after shooting a 2-over 74 on Wednesday, putting him at 2-under for the tournament.

“I’m not exactly happy with the score, but … I’m in it, and got to regroup and get ready for tomorrow,” Grindle said.

Grindle sits in a three-way tie for third place, along with former champ Ricky Jones and Cole Anderson — both of whom play at Samoset Resort Golf Club.

“I sort of figured out what to do with my putting stroke after I missed a short putt on four,” Jones said. “I putted pretty good for the rest of the round.”

Joe Alvarez of Webhannet Golf Club is alone in second after carding a 4-under 68 in the second round.

“I started off horrible yesterday. I was 4-over through six, and just had to crawl back. Got it back to even. I knew I was playing good coming into today, just had to keep it going,” Alvarez said. “I hit it pretty straight, kept it in play and made a few putts. Hit a couple real close for birdie.”

Alvarez, the current president of the Maine State Golf Association, which puts on the tournament, benefited from starting his round early.

The same couldn’t be said for a pair of golfers who entered Wednesday tied for second. Minot’s Will Kannegieser went out the group after Alvarez and shot a 4-over 76, going from 3-under after round one to 1-over after two days. Judd Parsons teed off 40 minutes later and fared worse, carding a 9-over 81 to sit at 6-over.

“I got some bad breaks on the back side,” Parsons said. “I hit good shots and then just ended up in really weird spots with no shot really. Completely opposite of yesterday, really.”

The final member of the four-person logjam who entered the day at 3-under finished somewhere in the middle of Wyman’s 68 and Kannegieser and Parsons over-par rounds: Joe Baker played the second round 2-over and finds himself at 1-under heading into Thursday’s final round.

“I think I was 1-under with like five or six to play and then made a couple bad swings, a couple bad club selections, didn’t get up and down,” Baker said.

Baker and fellow Martindale Country Club member Brian Bilodeau are tied for sixth.

Thursday’s final grouping will consist of Wyman, Alvarez and Grindle. Baker will be in the group ahead with Jones and Anderson. Jones and Baker were in last year’s final group with eventual champion Matt Hutchins.

“It should be a fun time tomorrow,” Alvarez said.

There were 41 players who made the cut of 8-over.

wkramlich@sunjournal.com

Chris Cloutier of Lisbon, who plays out of Fox Ridge Country Club, watches his approach to the first hole during the second round of the Maine Amateur golf championship at Brunswick Golf Club on Wednesday.
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