Calais’ Frost wins first state individual title McPhie’s 66 wins boys crown

VASSALBORO – While one golfer was burning up the course at a 5-under-par clip and thinking he had a great shot at the title, another was shooting 9-over par and just hoping she could finish in the top five.

In both cases, the results ended up being totally different from expectations in the State Individual Golf Championships on a Saturday that started rainy, but wound up sunny and comfortable for the better part of the day at Natanis Golf Course.

On Friday, Katie Frost played a full game of soccer and then some as her Calais Blue Devils lost a double-overtime, 2-1 decision to Penquis in a regional crossover semifinal. Saturday she was back on the grass, only this time with a full set of clubs and the legal use of her hands, which she put to good use by shooting a 9-over-par 82 and winning her first individual girls state crown.

“I was thinking ‘Geez, I’m OK. I’m happy with my 82 after I shot an 81 last week’,” said Frost. “I wanted to be high 70s and I wanted to win after I was second, third, and fifth the last three years, but I figured I’d be second or third again.”

Wrong. The Calais senior’s 82 was good for first by a fairly comfortable four strokes as runner-up Angie Meghan of Thornton Academy in Saco carded an 86.

Tyler McPhie of Kennebunk shot a blistering 66 to win the boys overall title.

It was the ultimate end to the fall season for Frost, who was only able to play Saturday because Penquis graciously moved the game to Friday with only one condition: That she come back with a golf title.

“It pumped me up. It did make me feel a little extra pressure,” Frost said. “I said ‘Geez, all these people gave me an opportunity and wanted me to go win, so this makes me feel really good.”

Frost, whose older brother James won three straight Class C titles (1998-2000), overcame constant putting frustration and dealt with problems using her 8-iron near the green by putting from the fringe.

“Other than the putting, I played pretty well. I had pretty good approach shots,” she said. I had one really bad hole at the beginning and had to come back from that. Then I got a par and a birdie, but then I got a double bogey, so I had to go from there, too. I just had to keep my head in the game.”

Frost said that task is made easier by her dual varsity sport status.

“It works out well because I play my golf, play my soccer, and it keeps me busy because I’m not thinking about either too much.”

Meanwhile, junior Lance Libby from Messalonskee High School in Oakland parred his first five holes, birdied the next three, and added three more birdies the rest of the way en route to a 5-under-par 67, but it wouldn’t be enough as one other golfer was even hotter than Libby.

Kennebunk senior McPhie made up for two bogeys with two birdies, and mixed in four birdies and 10 pars for good measure. The end result was a 6-under 66 – the lowest score in at least seven years at the tournament – and the 2001 Class A and overall individual state championship.

“I played like I wanted to, so I can’t complain too much. I shot a 71 the second day of qualifying and that’s now my second-best score ever,” Libby said. “The thing that’s most frustrating is I had two chances for birdies on those last two holes, but got par.

“That’s the only thing about a close match like this is it makes you think about all the shots you missed that could have made the difference.”

Bangor’s Tim Hardy can relate to that. He followed up a respectable 77 in last week’s team championships with an even-par 72 and still couldn’t do better than fourth, two strokes behind Sanford’s Chris Woodward.

“Right around par was what I thought would win because that’s what it took last year. I just couldn’t believe they shot such good scores,” said Hardy, who will get two more cracks at championship hardware as he’s only a sophomore. “I think the more experience you have, the better off you are and this was good experience for me.”

In the other classes, Kyle Feltis from Lincoln Academy of Newcastle won the Class B title with a 74, one stroke ahead of runners-up Nate Belz of Maranacook and Rob Roylance from Old Orchard Beach. In Class C, North Yarmouth Academy’s Chris Bixby’s 75 was more than good enough for the win as he finished four strokes up on Bangor Christian’s David Chrisos.

“I shot 83 last week, so I kind of wanted to break 80, but wasn’t sure I could do it,” said Chrisos, a junior. “It’s a gorgeous course, but it can be kind of frustrating too. I was happy because I thought a 75 would win it and a 77 would be second, so I was figuring I was third or fourth.”