ORONO – Rick Ambrose paused briefly after hitting his tee shot on the 18th hole. As the gallery and his competitors moved down the fairway, he sipped some cold water and took a deep breath.

Ambrose had played this hole at the Penobscot Valley Countrycourse, countless times. Only once before had he been so anxious to finish.

With a large crowd encircling the 18th green, the 44-year-old Ambrose calmly sank a 2 1/2-foot par putt to win the 73rd Maine Amateur Golf Championship.

Ambrose shot a 1-under-par 71 in Thursday’s final round, completing the three-day Maine State Golf Association event with a 2-under-par 214 total. Ambrose edged out Bob Webber of Augusta, the leader after two rounds, who carded a 1-over 73 and finished one stroke back at 215.

Mark Plummer of Augusta, the third member of Thursday’s final group, wound up at 216 after shooting 73 in the decisive third round. Bob Girvan of Kenduskeag and PVCC shot 72 for a 218 total and first-round leader Dave Brown of Bangor had 74 to come in at 221.

Len Cole of Bangor (73 Thursday) and Norway’s Dan Ladd (74) were eight strokes back at 222.

The victory gave Bangor’s Ambrose his second Maine Amateur title. The line foreman for Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. had won the tournament under a match-play format in 1971. Ambrose, who had not played in the Maine Amateur since 1988, was thrilled to win in front of his friends and supporters.

“It’s great,” Ambrose said. “You’re home in front of everybody. It just makes it a lot easier. Any time you go to a golf course it’s going to be like that. If you’re a home-clubber, they’re going to be rooting for you. It definitely helped.”

Ambrose, who said the win ranked second only to the course-record 62 he shot at PVCC in 1966, was a bit tense as he made the walk down the 18th fairway.

“I was trying to catch my breath. I couldn’t get any air,” Ambrose said. “I knew I didn’t want to make any worse than a 5 and I was hoping to make 4, but Bobby (Webber) turned around and made that put for 3. I’m real lucky.”

There was no question who the fan favorite was Thursday, with Ambrose playing in the lead group. He thrilled the PVCC faithful with his steady golf before making his move late in the round.

The outcome was in doubt until Ambrose holed his par putt on No. 18. Webber, who held a three-stroke advantage after 12 holes, watched Ambrose make a couple of big shots while his own game began to falter.

Ambrose missed a 20-foot birdie putt on 15, but tapped in from 10 inches for a par that gave him a share of the lead for the first time on the day. Plummer, who nearly holed a chip shot from 20 yards, sank a five-footer, also for birdie.

Webber, who took drop after his second shot landed in a tire rut, left his approach short and two-putted for a bogey-5, falling to 2-under.

The par-3 16th was a nightmare for Webber, who landed his drive in a sand trap in front of the green and failed to get his sand shot up on the green. Once on, he missed a four-foot putt and settled for a costly double-bogey.

Ambrose, whose tee shot found a trap on the left side, chipped two within five feet, only to leave his par putt high. Yet, his 4 enabled him to take a one-stroke lead into the final two holes.

Plummer, who parred the 16th, was one back with Webber at even par for the tournament.

Ambrose, who had parred 12 of the first 16 holes with solid, unspectacular play, made sure he didn’t let the lead slip away. He blistered a drive down the right side of the fairway and hit his approach on the green, five feet left of the pin.

Ambrose drained the putt for a birdie, much to the delight of the crowd, which sensed victory.

Webber nearly stayed within one stroke, but left a 16-footer barely off the front edge of the cup and settled for par, as did Plummer.

“I think 17 was the difference,” Ambrose said. “They both made par and I made birdie. That gave me a two-shot cushion going up to the last hole. With a two-shot lead coming up 18, you just want to put your tee shot in the fairway.”

Webber recorded a birdie on the 18th, but it wasn’t enough.

Maine Amateur Golf Championship AT PENOBSCOT VALLEY CC, ORONO Lead group hole-by-hole comparison, Thursday

Hole No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total Par 4 4 5 3 4 3 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 72 Rick Ambrose 4 4 5 3 4 3 5 3 5 5 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 71 Bob Webber 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 4 3 73 Mark Plummer 4 5 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 5 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 73