BAR HARBOR – For the low-handicappers entered in Tuesday’s 19th Bangor Daily News Junior Golf Tournament, a round of golf should have been left for another day.

In a way, it was.

Seventeen-year-old Jesse Day of Islesboro, who missed his early starting time, got stuffed into the middle of the field, and then went out onto Kebo Valley Golf Club’s wind-swept, rain-soaked course here and fired an 81 to post a three-stroke victory over his nearest competitor.

After starting off with a triple-bogey 7 on the first hole, Day settled down and played consistent golf – firing a 41 on the front and 40 on the back. Over the final five holes, Day was 1-over par to ice his victory.

Day, a 9-handicap, was unavailable for comment following his round. After turning in his card, the youngster rushed out to catch the ferry back to Islesboro, where he had a previous commitment.

Divisional winners included Samantha Summers of Wiscasset, who won Division 1 (17-year-olds) in a playoff; Joshua Weed of Deer Isle in Div. 2 (15-16); Chris Whitney of Bangor in Div. 3 (13-14); and Stuart Cady of Orono in the Fred McPheters Cup (10-12).

Summers shot an 88, Weed carded an 84, Whitney totaled an 89, and Cady finished at 45 for nine holes.

For the Div. I golfers and Div. 2 low handicappers, the early starting times proved to be a detriment as many holes were played in gale-force winds and a driving rain.

“It was as tough as I’ve ever seen it,” said Shaun Webb of Stonington, whose 86 put him fifth overall in the field. “The wind and everything was “The wind was unreal,” added defending Joe McDonough, who was forced to take a no card following a 15th hole mental error. “I hit so many good shots that ended up either behind trees or out of play. It got much better as the day went on.”

As the first golfers began trickling off the course, 88 proved to be the score to beat as four golfers – Summers, Matt Varnum of Bucksport, Jason Brooks of Brewer, and Bryce Black of Rockland – snatched the early lead.

Webb shortly came in with an 86 as the waiting game began to see who might be the golfer to fire a lower round.

Two groups later, Trenton’s Ben Dinsmore came in with an 85.

“I wasn’t putting great at all,” Dinsmore said. “On the first two holes, I three-putted each time. I was shaky on the front.”

Dinsmore turned around his front-nine 46 by shooting a 39 on the back.

Still, Dinsmore’s score would not hold up either as Weed – a high school teammate of Webb at Deer Isle-Stonington – carded an 84 to take his short-lived spot atop the leaderboard.

Weed survived the changing conditions by staying as consistant as he could, firing a 41-43 for his total score.

“The greens were hard to judge,” he said. “At first they were really fast, then it rained and they started getting slow. Then, toward the end, they dried out and got fast again.”

After Day came in, there was only one final golfer who might have had a shot to knock him off the top – 13-year-old Greg Hanna of Augusta, also a 9-handicapper.

Hanna fired a 95, giving Day the title.

As for McDonough, who was looking to become the first repeat winner since Danny Sargant of Ellsworth in 1978-79, the day ended with disappointment on the 15th hole – a par 3.

McDonough just missed a par putt, leaving the shot two inches from the hole. Before the ball stopped, he bent over to pick up the ball, touching it and under the rules “interfering with it.” He was forced to take an “X” on the hole, knocking him out of competition.

“It was a mistake,” said McDonough, who estimated a round in the low-to-mid 80s. “I was very disappointed in myself. I had to take an `X.’ There was nothing I could do about it. But, I’ve still got another year.”