CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine – Bob Darling of Fox Ridge Golf Club in Auburn fired a 1-over par 73 in the final round of the State of Maine Championship Wednesday at Sugarloaf Golf Club under clearing skies and temperatures in the 60s to finish three strokes ahead of runner-up Shawn Warren.
After a challenging weather day in round one that left Darling in second place with a 4-over par 76, he came out firing Wednesday, notching four birdies in the first nine holes to finish 2-under par and capture his sixth State of Maine Championship.
Heading into the back nine, Darling maintained sub par until two bogeys and a double in the last four holes and finished with a two-round total of 5-over 149.
Warren of Nonesuch River Golf Club in Scarborough, the 2013 champ, jumped into second place with a 3-over par 75. He started the day with a birdie on the first hole, followed by a double bogey on the next, but found his stroke later in the day and maintained an even par through the second nine, finishing with a 152.
Amateur Reese McFarlane of Cape Elizabeth, who held the first-round lead, dropped two double bogeys on holes six and 11, to finish with a with a two-round score of 154 and tied with three-time runner-up, Jeff Seavey, who scored an even-par 72 in the final round.
Defending champion John Hickson of Dick’s Sporting Goods in Topsham, fired a second-round 74 to finish in fifth after a seven-stroke deficit in the first round put him in a three-way tie for sixth.
The State of Maine Championship is an annual 36-hole medal play tournament, which matches Maine’s top professional and amateur golfers in junior, senior and age group categories of 18-50. To compete in the tournament, professionals must be a member of the Maine Chapter of the New England PGA, while all Maine residents are eligible to compete in the amateur category.