MANCHESTER — Joshua Eure didn’t expect shooting a 4-under 66 at Augusta Country Club would give him a share of the lead after the first round of the Charlie’s Maine Open on Monday.
But the lingering disappointment of a bogey on the par-5 18th to finish his round squashed some of the wonder of joining Ted Brown and Jason Thresher atop the leaderboard.
“That was a little bit of a sour taste to finish the day,” Eure said. “That makes it a little bit more sour to bogey 18. It’s an easy par-5.”
After a morning logjam at the top of the leaderboard, Eure, Brown and Thresher turned in their low scores later in the afternoon.
Brown, of Glen Allen, Virginia, Eure, of Crofton, Maryland, and Thresher, of West Suffield, Connecticut, played as clouds moved in and winds started to pick up in the afternoon.
Earlier, five players shot 3-under 67 under more sunlight and less wind, including the top Mainers, Shawn Warren of Cape Elizabeth and Malcolm Oliver of Damariscotta.
Overall, Eure was pleased with his performance, and with good reason. He birdied the par-3 second and par 4s at 4, 8, 10 and 14 before missing a couple of putts on the final two holes to fall back into the tie.
“I made a couple of decent wedges inside of about 60 (for the birdies on the back-9),” Eure said. “I missed a seven-footer on 17 and another seven-footer for par on 18. But other than that, I putted pretty solid, no three-putts. I just gave myself a lot of good opportunities, just a bunch of two irons off the tee to keep it in front of me, keep it in play.”
Brown had a more consistent round, starting with a birdie at the par-4 first hole, and didn’t bogey at all. He turned in birdies at 6, 9 and 10, also par-4s.
“I hit it in play off the tee,” he said. “There are some holes out here where you can get in trouble. I hit it in play. You do that, you’ll have a wedge in your hand every hole.”
Thresher started on the back 9 and bogeyed 10, but recovered quickly with birdies at 11 and 12, both par-4s. He then birdied 1, 4, and the par-5 fifth before a double-bogey at the par-3 seventh brought him back to 4-under.
Warren, now a pro on the New England PGA Tour, won the 2004 Maine Open as an amateur. He and Oliver joined Colin Brennan, of Methuen, Massachusetts, Jeff Martin, of Warwick, Rhode Island and Spencer Mellon, of Oakmont, Pennsylvania in second place.
Oliver carded four birdies and a bogey at 9 to join the pack lurking one stroke behind the leaders.
“Really the only mistake I made was on nine. I missed into the right rough. I was so out of position, I really couldn’t save anything,” Oliver said. “Other than that, I was good off the tee and hitting it into spots where I could make some putts, and stay away from three-putts, too. I didn’t leave myself a lot of downhill putts, which took a lot of stress away. I wasn’t grinding too much for five-foot par putts.”
Defending champion Matt Campbell, of Clifton Park, New York was among eight golfers two shots back at 2-under 68, along with 2013 champion Evan Hemerling and amateurs Ricky Jones of Thomaston and Jack Wyman of South Freeport.
Last year at ACC, Campbell was tied for 23rd place when he started his second round. He birdied seven of his final 11 holes on the second day to win the tournament at -9.
“It’s the same as what I shot last year (in the first round),” Campbell said. “I think the fairways are a little firmer (than last year), but overall… (the course) is pretty similar, I think. The greens are rolling good.”
“You just can’t shoot yourself out of it today,” he added. “Two-under is probably going to be a few shots back like it was last year. You just got to go and play good one tomorrow.”
Christopher DeForest had the day’s lone ace, firing a hole-in-one on the 197-yard seventh hole. He is among seven golfers three shots back at 1-under 69, along with Pittston native Ryan Gay and amateur Sam Grindle.
Thirteen-time Maine Amateur champion and Manchester native Mark Plummer shot 2-over 72. 2016 Maine Amateur winner Matt Hutchins of Falmouth and Manchester amateur Luke Ruffing also were 2-over. Amateur Gavin Dugas of Pittsfield finished at even-par 70.
A total of 144 golfers teed off Monday. Twenty-three missed the amateur cut, which was 74, for Tuesday, while six golfers withdrew.
Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638
rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @RAWmaterial3
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