Mike San Filippo’s

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PORTLAND – Mike San Filippo of Nashua, N.H., and Jeff Grygiel of Syracuse, N.Y., bulled their way clear of the field after two rounds of the 73rd Maine Open Golf Championship at Riverside Municipal Golf Course.

San Filippo fired a 9-under-par 63 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead at 15-under-par 129.

Grygiel, who had shared the first-day lead with San Filippo and three others, posted a 64 for a two-day total of 130.

The three other first-day co-leaders, Jeff Julian of Hanover, N.H., Brian Schindler of Sanford, and Mike McCormick of Warwick, R.I., each shot 71 for 137 totals.

Bob Kay moved into third place with a 66 for 133. David Ladd of Boynton Beach, Fla., was right behind at 67-134.

Dana Quigley of Rehoboth, Mass., and Jason Cook of Easton, Mass., are tied for fifth at 135. Both shot 66 Thursday. Another stroke back are Mike Baker (68) of Bangor, Tim Angis (68) of Portland, John Elliott (68) of West Dover, Vt., Kerry Johnston (67) of Palm Springs, Calif., and Sandy Morrison (68) of Palm Springs, Calif. Baker and Angis are the low Maine pros.

Mark Plummer of Augusta shares the amateur lead with McCormick. Plummer recorded a 68 Thursday.

San Filippo and Grygiel broke out of the traffic jam which characterized the opening round where 18 players shot 66, 67, or 68.

San Filippo, who started on the back nine Thursday, quickly moved to 2 under for the day by getting an eagle on the short par-5 10th hole.

He hit a 4-iron to the green on his second shot, then dropped a 20-foot putt.

He followed that with back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13, and added two more on 15 and 17 to make the turn at 6-under-par 30.

“After that, I told myself I was even and blocked it out of my mind,” said San Filippo. “I just wanted to shoot under par on the back.”

He got a good start on his goal by getting birdies on the first two holes.

He parred the next six before getting his final-hole birdie, which left him one stroke off the course record set by Plummer in the final round when he won the 1982 Casco Bay Classic.

“I had some real good opportunities coming in, but I couldn’t get any to drop,” said San Filippo, who was surprised to get the last one.

“I feel like I stole one there,” said San Filippo.

It made the difference, though, as Grygiel, playing in the group behind San Filippo, dogged his trail the whole day.

Grygiel also eagled the 10th hole, hitting a 5-iron to six f He added birdies on 13, 15, and 17 to turn at 31.

Grygiel pulled into a tie with San Filippo after 17 holes by getting birdies on Nos. 1, 6, and 8.

The difference was he couldn’t get his 10-foot birdie putt to drop on the last hole.

“I can’t complain. You can’t shoot 61 every day,” said Grygiel.

“I’m fortunate, to be sure,” said Grygiel. “I think Mike’s about 5 or 6 strokes better than me on the par-4s.

“When you have a wedge in your hand all the time, you should make more birdies than I did.”

Grygiel almost snapped the wedge, he was so frustrated, but he thumped it into the ground instead.

“I met get fined by the PGA. I apologized to the official there,” said Grygiel. “It was the turning point for me today, I think.

“It got the anger out. I felt great after that.”

The wedge shot in on 6 which precipitated the explosion came up 50 feet short of the pin. But he sank the putt just trying to get close.

The two were paired in the lead group of the Flamingo Open in Florida last December.

“He nipped me there, so maybe it’s my turn this time,” said San Filippo.

While they were slugging it out, though, another player snuck past them to win.

Kay and Ladd, while a bit back, put themselves in position to do that this time if San Filippo and Grygiel get too wrapped up in their own duel for the $5,000 top prize in Friday’s final round of the $30,000 tournament.

“We just have to keep an eye out to see that doesn’t happen again,” said San Filippo.