Weather woes force shortening of New England Am to 54 holes

July 17, 2018 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Drake Hull (Rutland Herald photo)

Only 12 players finished Tuesday's first round as storms hovered over Portland Country Club in Falmouth, Maine

FALMOUTH, Maine (July 17, 2018) - The first round of the New England Amateur Championship at Portland Country Club was suspended on Tuesday when a severe weather system arrived in the Falmouth region. When play was officially suspended for the day, only 12 players had completed the first round of play, and the afternoon wave of players hadn't even started teeing off.

Among those 12 finishers, Uttdom Sowinkong of Wallingford, Conn., is the clubhouse leader after a 2-under 68 that included an eagle on the par-5 16th. Two other players, Ryan Pelletier and Drake Hull, had gotten to 3 under after 16 and 12 holes, respectively.

Auburn's Brian Bilodeau is the low Maine player at 1-under through 15. Jack Wyman, a two-time Maine Amateur champion from South Freeport, Maine, is even through 12 holes.

Matthew Paradis, a few weeks removed from winning the New Hampshire Amateur and just a day removed from qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, is also at 1 under through 15 holes. He has finished fourth and tied for second here the past two years.

Play was officially suspended for the day at 3:20 p.m. when tournament officials announced that heavy rains and forecasted continued rain had made the course unplayable.

The event, originally scheduled for 72 holes, will be reduced to 54 holes. Players who did not complete the first round on Tuesday will return to Portland Country Club on Wednesday morning. First-round play will resume at 7:30 a.m. The second round will start immediately after the completion of Round 1.

The schedule change turns the event into a real endurance event. Past champion Mark Plummer, who won the 1994 New England Amateur at Portland Country Club, recognized that.

“We’ll see if this 66-year-old body can handle it,” Plummer told the Portland Press Herald on Tuesday. “I’ll worry about that if it comes.”

The field will be reduced to the low 40 scorers after the second round.

Information from the New England Golf Association the Portland Press Herald used in this report

Results: New England Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Reese McFarlane	Cape Elizabeth, ME	300	65-69-72=206
2	Drake Hull	Rutland, VT	200	67-71-70=208
T3	Max Theodorakis	Danbury, CT	100	72-69-68=209
T3	Evan Grenus	Glastonbury, CT	100	68-71-70=209
T3	Matthew Paradis	Hooksett, NH	100	68-70-71=209

View full results for New England Amateur

About the New England Amateur

Weather woes force shortening of New England Am to 54 holes

Held since 1926, the New England Amateur brings together players from six New England area states — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The event host rotates between each of the six represented states. The to...