FALMOUTH, Me. (July 10, 2014) -- Andrew Slattery saw his two-shot lead from Wednesday dissolve on the first hole on Thursday as he made bogey to Joe Walp's birdie.

But Slattery knew there was still a whole lot of golf course in front of them, chances for redemption and chances for the wheels to fall off.

Ultimately, it came down to the 18th hole where Walp missed a 15-footer for birdie and a chance to tie and force a playoff with Slattery.

Walp started out on fire with five threes on the front nine, leading to his three-under 33. Most players in the field of 43 finalist would have been happy to see five threes on their card for the entire 18 holes, as The Woodlands proved a true test of golf, made even more challenging by a pair of violent rainstorms on Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Slattery just kept plugging away, trailing Walp by one at the turn. Both players birdied the 12th hole but the tides turned on 13, 14 and 15. Walp made bogeys on 13 and 14 while Slattery birdied 15 to retake the lead after stuffing a short wedge shot to near tap-in range.

Slattery finished the day with a one-under 71 for a three day total of two-under 214. Walp was just one behind at 215 despite tying Luke Ruffing for the low round of the day at 70.

Ruffing, the reigning schoolboy champ and runner-up in last year's Maine Junior Championship, was the only red number on the board until the final two competitors posted their score. He finished in a tie for seventh overall. Indeed, the score of 70 was tied for low score of the week.

Another junior golfer, 16-year-old Drew Powell from Penobscot Valley, playing in the second to last group of the day, finished in third, eking out Matt Greenleaf, who was fourth. Powell was at 221 while Sable Oaks' Greenleaf was 222.

A special thanks go out to the members and staff of The Woodlands Club for their hospitality in hosting this year's championship. A special gratitude goes out to Superintendent Ryan Minzner and his crew for battling ridiculous amounts of rain in short periods of time and making the golf course an amazing test of golf.

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