Top field featured in tourney> Gallo to defend title in 82nd Maine Open

Kyle Gallo and John Connelly, who had to go an extra hole before Gallo won last year’s Wendy’s Maine Open Golf Championship, head a field of 156 pros and amateurs who will vie in the 82nd Maine Open starting today.

Gallo, from Berlin, Conn., and Connelly, from Oregon, Ohio, finished tied at 8-under-par 207 a year ago, before Gallo parred the first hole at The Woodlands in Falmouth to earn the title.

That course, where Gallo posted a 4-under-par 68 and Connelly a 69, is where the field will begin today their quest for the $5,000 first prize.

The players move to Portland Country Club in Falmouth Foreside for Thursday’s second round, after which the field will be cut for Friday’s final round at Purpoodock Club in Cape Elizabeth.

The tournament rotates among the four golf courses.

Gallo and Connelly, winner of the 1999 Greater Bangor Open and third this year, came from behind to pass second-round leader Peter Morgan of Valrico, Fla., Billy Downes of Hampden, Mass., and David Schuster of Jacksonville, Fla., for the win.

Besides Gallo and Connelly, the other three have also returned as well as other top-10 finishers Rich Parker of Lebanon, N.H., and Tim Angis, the head pro at Biddeford-Saco Country Club in Biddeford.

Downes is coming in with a hot hand after winning the Greater Bangor Open a week and a half ago. Jim Gilleon of Singer Island, Fla., runner-up to Downes, and David Gunas of Amston, Conn., are also entered.

Jerry DiPhilippo, an assistant pro at Riverside Municipal Golf Course in Portland and a past Maine Open champ, tied another previous champ, Joe Clark Jr. of Owl’s Nest Golf Course in Campton, N.H., for low pro honors with 3-under-par 69s in Tuesday’s pro-am at Falmouth Country Club. Al Bouchard of Falmouth matched their score to top the amateurs.

Other top Maine pros include Mike Baker, the assistant at Bangor Municipal Golf Course who missed last year’s tournament because he was playing in the PGA Championship, Jim Nickerson, head pro at Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland Center, Gorham Country Club head pro Mark Fogg, and John Hickson of Bath.

Among the amateurs, 2000 Maine Amateur champ Mark Plummer of Manchester and 1999 Paul Bunyan Amateur victor Mike Norris of Newburgh head the field.