BANGOR, Maine — It’s always nice to get off to a good start when you’re in contention on the final day of a golf tournament.
Jon McLean of West Palm Beach, Florida, began the last round of the 49th annual Greater Bangor Open Golf Tournament trailing his best friend, Bangor’s Jesse Speirs, by two shots but a long birdie putt on the first hole at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course jump-started his round on Saturday and he wound up shooting a five-under 64 which gave him a one-shot victory over Braden Shattuck of Aston, Pennsylvania.
Ken Lewis of East Sandwich, Massachusetts, also shot a 64 on the comfortable, overcast day to tie Brian Bergstol of Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, for third at 199. Bergstol shot a 67.
Rounding out the top five was Raoul Menard of Ange-Gardien, Quebec, who shot a 67 to wind up three shots off the lead.
Rich Campiola of Windham was the low amateur with a 216 and Hampden native John Hickson won the senior division with a 137 as that division is only two rounds.
He shot a four-over 73 to finish in a tie for 10th at 204. He was the low Maine pro.
“I just couldn’t get anything going. I missed a number of greens, I didn’t hit it close so I had a lot of long-range putts and I didn’t get anything to the hole,” said Speirs who left his long putts 5 to 8 feet short and missed a succession of those short putts on the front nine including a 5-footer on three that lipped out.
McLean, on the other hand, birdied four of the first eight holes to take the lead.
“I played a pretty solid round,” said the 29-year-old McLean, a former teammate of Speirs’ at Texas Christian before he transferred to Oklahoma State and Speirs moved on to the University of Mississippi.
“I putted pretty good. I had a lot of long putts. It started off on the first hole. That birdie putt was probably a 90-footer and that set a great tone for the day,” said McLean. “I hit a good drive to and eventually wound up with a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-five (fourth) and I birdied it. I hit a nine-iron (close) on eight and birdied it. I was going to hit a wedge but I thought I would wind up with a monster putt so I went with the nine iron and it stopped (close).”
He also birdied the 348-yard, par-four fifth hole.
McLean, son of world-renowned teaching pro Jim McLean, expanded his lead with impressive birdie putts on the 16th and 17th before he picked up his lone bogey on 18.
He sank a 17-foot putt on 16 and negotiated a difficult left-to-right break on 17 to convert a 20-footer.
“That putt on 17 was huge. I had played 18 pretty bad this week (2-over par through the three rounds) so it was really nice to birdie 16 and 17. That made me feel a lot better going into 18,” said McLean.
McLean has played the GBO several times and said, “I always felt I could win it.
“It feels good. I played a good round today. I didn’t get ahead of myself. I just hit good shots,” said McLean.
“He played his game,” said Menard, one of McLean’s playing partners. “He didn’t make any big mistakes and he putted great. Those putts on 16 and 17 were bombs and he made a 60-footer right off the bat on number one and from that he was hot all day.”
Menard made a run with birdies on 12, 13 and 15 to climb to eight-under but he bogeyed 18 to finish two-under.
“I wasn’t opportunistic enough. I didn’t take advantage of my chances on the front nine and it became an uphill battle because (McLean) was playing really well,” said Menard, who was playing in just his second pro tournament.
Shattuck had seven birdies, four coming on the first seven holes, and two bogeys during his round.
“I hit the ball better today and I had more (birdie) opportunities than yesterday but I just didn’t make them. I left a couple of putts out there today. I had some good putts inside 10 feet for birdie that I didn’t make,” said Shattuck.
Greg Jarmas of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, had the shot of the day.
His tee shot on the 348-yard, par-four fifth hole rolled onto the green, hit the flag and stopped 2 inches from the hole for a tap-in eagle. Jarmas shot a two-over 71 and finished tied for eighth at 203.