Abbie Spector claims WMSGA junior golf championship

SACO — A young lady who learned to play golf at the Squaw Mountain Resort in Greenville when she was 4 years old claimed her first Women’s Maine State Golf Association Junior Championship here Wednesday.

Abigail Spector, 11, shot a final round 98 Wednesday to finish seven strokes ahead of 15-year-old Angela Stewart of Augusta Country Club.

Stewart also posted a 98 on Wednesday which matched her Tuesday round, but had a 107 in Monday’s opener. Spector shot rounds of 98-100-98 to win the title at the Biddeford-Saco Country Club.

Maine’s new junior amateur champion first took club in hand at Squaw Mountain when her dad and caddy, Gary Spector, was maintenance supervisor at the Greenville resort. The family lmoved to Gardiner in 1989 when her mother, who passed away two years ago, became ill.

And, while Abigail keeps her hand in the game, dad keeps his hand in maintenance as supervisor for that department at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

“I’m not the golfer,” he said. “She is.”

The youngster had special help and encouragement from Squaw Mountain residents Al McPherson and Clint Winne, who saw to it that, even at a very young age, Abigail got to play.

She has not lost her love of the game she learned there. And although she plays basketball iln the winter, golf is, she said, her favorite sport.

The youngster found playing golf with the grownups “interesting and good competition.” The hole that made her happiest on Wednesday was the 125-yard par-3 eighth, which she birdied.

“I had a putt that was a little more than a foot, but it still felt good,” she said of making the bird.

Abigail Spector plans to be around for a while. She has some age-group and junior championships to her credit, and competes regularly throughout the summer.

A deliberate player with a great deal of concentration, the slight young lady with the shy smile is fun to watch and, obviously, a golfer to watch.

Although it’s the low scorers (those who finish each day among the top-10) who grab the leadlines in the Women’s Maine State Golf Association championship, nearly every player in the 106-member field makes her own personal headline at least once.

It may be a great drive, a perfect chip, a marvelous bunker shot, or a miraculous putt. Whatever that special moment is, that’s what the game of golf is all about.

Charlene Wiseman of Castine made her own personal headline in the final round of the 62nd annual event with a little help from a new-found friend.

For two days, the 50-year-old golfer had carried her own bags. The final day, she requested a caddy.

“I asked for a tall, good-looking guy with hair,” she said, emphasizing `the last two words. “And I got a great one.”

The guy she got might not be tall by adult standards, but he fills the entire bill for 12-year-olds, and then some.

Caddying for Wiseman on Wednesday was Kevin Lavertu of Biddeford, a student at Biddeford Middle School who, last month, won the 13-and-under Maine State Golf Association championship at Springbrook.

Wiseman was all smiles as she turned in her scorecard for the final round.

“I got two birds,” she said, “and he did it.” Wiseman’s final round, with Lavertu, was a marked improvement. She shot 100 the first day and 109 the second before proudly turning in a 95.

With Lavertu’s help, she had taken 14 strokes off her second round. What she learned, from Lavertu, was that playing this course, particularly the narrow back nine, is playing position golf.

Abigail Spector, Green Meadow 98-100-98–296 Buotte, Alma, Gorham 100-102-95–297 Natalis Graceffa, Augusta 104-90-103–297 Sharon Dauphinee, Bangor 100-100-98–298 Norma Hartley, Waterville 92-103-103–298 Peggy Wilson, Biddeford-Saco 99-99-100–298 Linda Martin, Hillcrest 96-101-102–299 Joyce Wyand, Ind. 95-97-107–299 Beth Mayo, Oakdale 104-103-93–300 Lillian Poulin, Natanis 102-98-100–300 Rosa Gerry, Biddeford-Saco 98-96-107–301 Madelin Kilmister, Natanis 103-102-97–302 Evelyn Sandy, Natanis 102-95-105–302 Margo Audiffred, Biddeford-Saco 99-101-103–303 Sally Beck, Waterville 95-108-100–303 Kathleey O’Hara, Hermon Meadow 105-100-98–303 JR

Angela Stewart, Augusta 107-98-98–303 Marty Layne, Gorham 97-98-109–304 Charleen Wiseman, Castine 100-109-95–304 Cheryl Paulson, Hermon Meadow 108-97-100–305 Jane Evans, Gorham 107-102-97–306 Ilse Pfander, PVCC 101-99-106–306 Donni Witham, Rockland 102-108-97–307 Peggy Buchanan, Hermon Meadow 97-105-107–309 Evelyn Silnclair, Martindale 97-110-102–309 MF Ueker, Waterville 103-100-109–312 Vinnie Burns, Augusta 106-111-97–314 Norma Michaud, Green Meadows 99-1-2-114–315 Pamela Prescott, Natanis 107-1034-104–315 Joan McClay, Augusta 107-107-102–316 Pat Soule, Paris Hilll 103-110-106–319 Suzanne Cates, Natanis 104-107-109–320 Sue Roberts, PVCC 104-105-111–320 Susan Fisher, Castine 110-102-109–321 Janet Drouin, Watrville 110-105-109–324 Rachel LaPointe, Hermon Meadow 106-103-120–329 Jean Smith, Biddeford-Saco 110-110-109–329 Bonnie Cote, Biddeford-Saco 104-124-110–338 Evelyn Gooch, Green Meadows 114-117-107–338 Nancy Thibeau, Natanis 113-112-113–338 Kathryn Houghton, Bangor Muni 111-120-113–344 Janet Annis, Bangor Muni 116-119-113–348 Jeannette LaPlante, Hermon Meadow 118-113-122–353 Barbara Hubbard, Green Meadow 130-118-141–389 Gerri Halkett, Bangor Muni NC Kathleen Strickland, Brunswick NC Patricia Caseldon, Biddeford-Saco NC Myra Finnemore, Augusta NC