Ouellette claims crown with 66 in final round

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PORTLAND – When Ryan Ouellette took his first look at a leader board Friday, on the 17th hole, “all I saw was single digits [under par].”

Except for the double-digit number next to his name.

“I told myself to just bring it home,” said the pro from West Palm Beach, Fla.

He did just that.

Ouellette birdied the 17th and parred the final hole to win the 84th Maine Open Golf Championship by three strokes over Eric Egloff of Rockville, Md.

Ouellette posted a 6-under-par 66 Friday at Riverside Municipal Golf Course for a three-day total of 14-under 202 and the winner’s check of $6,500.

Egloff also shot a 66 for 205.

Jeff Dantas of Pawtucket, R.I., and Billy Downes of Hampden, Mass., each recorded a 70 and tied for third at 207.

Second-round leader Bob Darling Jr. of Lewiston, Tim Duffy of Ledyard, Conn., and Mike Meehan of Engineers Country Club in New York tied for fifth at 208. Darling carded a 73, Duffy a 69, and Meehan a 68.

Kevin Henry of Patterson Club in Connecticut and Mark Fogg of Gorham came in eighth at 209. Henry shot a 67 and Fogg a 71.

Mark Plummer of Manchester was low amateur after shooting a 70 Friday for 210, two strokes better than Ben Daughan (69-212) of York.

Ouellette, runner-up in the Greater Bangor Open last month, started the day a stroke behind Darling and a stroke ahead of Downes, Dantas, and Rich Parker of Lebanon, N.H. He knew he was going to have to put up a good number Friday to get ahead of the crowd.

“I figured if I shot 5 under, that would get me to 13, and that would probably do it,” said Ouellette.

Riverside was the perfect place to execute his plan because of the numerous short par 4’s.

“I hit a lot of wedges [during the tournament] and that’s the strength of my game,” said Ouellette.

“I left myself a lot of chances for birdie,” said Ouellette. “I missed some I thought I should have made, but I made a couple I shouldn’t have. It evens out.”

Ouellette got to 13 under with a birdie on the 189-yard, par-3 15th hole.

“That birdie on 15 was huge,” said Ouellette. “That took a lot of pressure off.”

Ouellette stuck a 4-iron 6 feet from the cup and drained it. Darling and Downes made bogey and par, respectively.

At that point, the closest challenger was Egloff, who had eagled the par-4 16th to get to 11 under, but could get no closer with pars on the last two holes.

Ouellette tied for the lead by sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the second hole (the usual 11th as the nines were reversed for the tournament), then jumped out in front for good when Darling mishit a tee shot and bogeyed the fifth hole.

After 11 holes, Ouellette led by one over Downes, Dantas, and Fogg and by two over Darling. Egloff moved into the picture with three straight birdies starting on 11.

It was about that point, according to Ouellette, that his caddie, Brian Tennyson, told him, “Keep making pars. Let them make birdies.”

Ouellette added, “They kept falling back. I was surprised.”

Downes bogeyed 12, Darling and Fogg bogeyed 13 while Ouellette, Downes and Dantas birdied it, then Ouellette saved par on 14 while Downes, Darling, Dantas and Fogg made bogeys.

That set up Ouellette’s clinching birdie on 15.

Darling – who recently took over as head pro at Fox Ridge Golf Course in Auburn – wasn’t at all upset by what happened. Now that he’s trying to play more, he knows he has things to learn.

“I had fun most of the day,” said Darling with a smile afterward, “even if it didn’t look it.”

Ouellette also enjoyed the day.

“I came in second at Bangor when Paul [Dickinson] made that long putt [on the last hole]. At [the] New Hampshire [Open], I lipped out a putt on the last hole to force a playoff,” said Ouellette. “It was nice to have a cushion down the stretch.”