Waterville’s Spector steady, seeks improvement

WATERVILLE – After shooting a 79 Monday in the Women’s Maine State Golf Association Metropolitan, Abigail Spector said she’s not happy with her game.

The defending Maine amateur champion said her alignment isn’t right and, after a five-month hiatus from the game this winter, she said she hasn’t recovered from the winter break.

Well, don’t believe her.

The 16-year-old Waterville golfer may have shot a 6-over par Monday at Waterville Country Club in the 84-group tournament, but she is already looking to the next level.

The team of Jeanne Dumont, Dolly Holden, Laurie Wills and Glenda Winn lead the tourney with a 72. They are followed by the team of Bernice Vadnais, Frances Ryall, Laura Gagnon and Lin Burgess at 74.

Spector, along with Dale Hannon, Betty Tewksbury, and Helen Plourd are next at 76. The two-day team tourney concludes today.

Last year, Spector, at 15, became the youngest player to win the Women’s Maine State Golf Association’s Amateur Championship. This year, Spector wants to make the U.S. Amateur Championship.

“I’d like to defend my title,” the reserved Spector said. “And I’d like to make the U.S. Amateur. The day before the amateur, there is a qualifier in Massachusetts in July. I’ve never tried to qualify before. Because I have gotten my handicap down, I decided to try this year.”

Spector dropped her handicap last summer from 5 to 2, and right now carries a 2.2 handicap. In the last two weeks, she has shot in the high 70s and hopes to be shooting in the low 70s by the Greater Portland Open, which runs Wednesday through Friday.

However, Spector still feels her game needs work.

With six bogies Monday, Spector didn’t appear the calm, powerful player who won last year’s state amateur by a stunning nine strokes. It was her short game where Spector struggled, missing birdie at six holes because of ill-placed putts.

However, Spector did show signs of her former self.

She hit nearly every fairway on her drives and in the two sand traps she landed in, got up-and-down well.

For the middle six holes, Spector played her best. From the seventh to the 13th, she two-putted and shot par at every hole except the 11th – where she drained a nine-foot putt for a birdie-4.

Still four bogies in the first five holes had Spector eager to practice.

One reason Spector said she hasn’t been able to correct her game is the lack of practice time she has had since she began competing again two weeks ago.

Spector explained she has a tournament scheduled for nearly every day this summer.

Last week, the day after school got out, Spector was on a plane to a national junior tournament in Myrtle Beach, Fla., where she shot a 78-83-78-239 to finish 18th.

“Overall, I didn’t play all that great. I’ve shot in the high 70s all year,” Spector said. “I’m going to work on that this week. Hopefully, break out of the high 70s.”