Golfers battle courses, conditions Lam leads ‘B’ after fun round; two tied in ‘A’

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BANGOR – At his family’s restaurant, Hawaiian Paradise in Newport, Jason Lam of Clinton always has something to do.

“Mostly, I run the kitchen. I do prep, I cook, if someone doesn’t show up, I do their job,” said the 25-year-old Lam.

“I work pretty hard, so when I get out to play, it’s fun,” said Lam.

Friday was definitely fun.

Lam took the lead in Division B of the 37th R.H. Foster Energy/Mobil Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament after shooting a 3-over-par 74 at Bangor Municipal Golf Course.

“It’s my best round ever,” said Lam, who plays to a 10 handicap at Palmyra Golf Course. His previous best was a 76.

Gary Manoogian of Falmouth and Jay Livingston, playing out of Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono, both from Division A, are tied for the overall lead after posting 1-under-par 70s at Bar Harbor Golf Course in Trenton. Greg Hanna of Augusta and Scott Stone, playing out of Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland Center, shot 71s, and 1999 Bunyan champ Mike Norris of Newburgh is fifth at 72.

Defending champion Ryan Day of Lamoine and the man he beat in a two-hole playoff, Jay Plourd of Gorham, each carded a 74.

Joel Greatorex and Donald Burgess of Hermon Meadow and Stephen Little of Rockland Golf Club share the Division C lead. They shot 80s at Rockland Golf Club.

Play continues today at Bangor Muni for Division A, Rockland for Division B, and Bar Harbor for Division C. For Sunday’s final round, Division A is at Rockland, Division B at Bar Harbor, and Division C at Bangor Muni.

Ed Dephilippo of Bangor, who is paired with Lam, was surprised to find that Lam had put in a few hours at the restaurant before their 9:16 a.m. starting time.

“I was in at 5,” said Lam. “If you want to play, you’ve got to pay.”

Lam learned the game six years ago from his uncle Elmer.

“My uncle used to go out and play all the time,” said Lam. “I asked him if I could go.”

Lam took it slowly in the beginning.

“I started on the ladies’ tees,” he said with a chuckle. “There were a few laughs at that, but not anymore.”

Lam wasn’t sure how his day would go Friday, but Dephilippo, who shot a 78 himself, was expecting good things from him.

“I knew he was going to have a good round from the first shot,” said Dephilippo, describing the slight draw Lam’s opening drive had.

What helped more, though, was good putting.

“His putting was great,” said Dephilippo.

Lam said, simply, “It was all working.”

Lam started a little slowly, refamiliarizing himself with a course he had played only once before.

After parring the first hole, Lam faced what he thought was a tricky putt on No. 2.

“It looked like it would break 21/2 feet right,” said Lam. “It went straight. I said, ‘Where are you going?'”

Dephilippo said, “After that was when I told you that you can’t give the hole away.”

Lam learned his lesson.

He bogeyed No. 3, also, but he parred the rest of the front nine for a 37.

That included a shank on the fifth hole.

“Right off the hosel,” said Lam. “I chipped on and sank the putt.”

It wasn’t his only shank.

“He did it again on 15,” said Dephilippo of the par-5 on the back nine that he bogeyed. “He was in front in 2, and he hoseled [the chip].”

Sinking the 18- to 20-foot putt on No. 5 helped Lam more than just on his scorecard.

“That gave me confidence,” he said.

Lam made his first birdie on No. 11, a long par-3, when he stuck his tee shot 4 feet, 5 inches from the pin.

He yanked his tee shot on 12, though, into the trees and almost did the same with his second ball. He finished with a 7.

“I put it right out of my mind,” said Lam, who quickly birdied 13.

Lam nearly eagled 17 when his approach shot with a gap wedge almost went in.

“It hit the pin and rolled right around the back of the cup,” said Lam. “We were screaming and yelling at it.”

He made the bird there and just missed another on the final hole.

Both Lam and Dephilippo credited some of their success to taking a cart to counteract the heat.

“For the people walking, I think it was definitely a factor,” said Dephilippo. “With the cart, there was a little wind.”

More of the same weather was forecast for today.

“Sounds like another cart day,” said Dephilippo with a laugh.