Jesse Speirs of Bangor has qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship, but that means his next attempt at becoming the youngest winner of the Greater Bangor Open Golf Tournament will be delayed.

The two tournaments run almost simultaneously later this month. The U.S. Junior Amateur runs July 21-26 at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md., while the GBO at Bangor Municipal Golf Course starts with a pro-am July 23 and continues through to its usual Saturday finish, also on July 26.

“I only have this year and next year to play” in the Junior Amateur, said the 16-year-old Speirs. “I figured if I could qualify for it, I would play in it.”

Speirs led for two days of last year’s GBO, losing out only when Paul Dickinson of Apopka, Fla., birdied the final hole and Speirs bogeyed it.

It took a little longer than Speirs expected when he competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier at Kettle Brook Golf Club in Paxton, Mass., on June 25. Speirs’ 36-hole total of 149 left him tied for second with Adrian Cushwa of Sheffield, Mass., eight strokes behind Jon Curran of Hopkinton, Mass. Only two players could advance to the championship.

“It was a five-hole playoff,” said Speirs. “I made pars on every hole; on the fifth hole he made bogey.”

With the 36 holes plus playoff, it turned into a very long day for Speirs.

“It went from 7:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., including the playoff,” he said. “I only had about 10 minutes between rounds.”

That didn’t leave the two-time defending champion of the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament much time to eat, but that was fine with him.

“I didn’t want to eat lunch and get weighted down,” he said. “I was just drinking water.”

He’s going to want to make sure he eats now, because his month is hitting a stretch where he’s going to be spending almost as much time in airports as he does on golf courses.

“I play in the Maine Amateur [July 8-11 at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono], the day after I leave for San Diego for the Junior Worlds [July 15-18],” said Speirs.

“I leave that night [July 18], back to D.C., and the 19th and 20th I get ready for the Junior Amateur,” said Speirs.

When he’s done there, it’s back to Maine for the U.S. Amateur Championship qualifier July 28 at Falmouth Country Club. The championship is Aug. 18-24 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club near Pittsburgh.

Later this summer, he is signed up for two American Junior Golf Association tournaments.

“Last year was busy; this year is just as busy, but I’m traveling more,” said Speirs.

Unlike past years, Speirs took the winter off from southern golf. It was a different feeling for him.

“Time seems slow when you’re not doing something you really like,” said Speirs. “It’s going by real fast now that I’m doing it again.”

Bouchard scrambling

Speirs and Jeff Bouchard of Hampden have been competitors and friends for years, but now their age difference has caught up with them.

While Speirs is participating in a variety of junior golf events this summer, the 18-year-old Bouchard is having to play against older golfers as he prepares for his college career.

“It’s a little bit” harder to find other tournaments, according to Bouchard.

He made it into the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship by shooting a 75 and tying for sixth at a qualifier at Juniper Hills Golf Course in Northborough, Mass., on Thursday.

“I was lucky to find this tournament so late in the season,” said Bouchard of the event, which runs July 30-Aug. 3 at PGA National Resort in West Palm Beach, Fla. “This one is for 18 and under, most of them are for 17 and under.”

Bouchard, who also will play in the Maine Amateur next week, is planning to play in the GBO, which kicks off a tournament run for him.

Two days later, he’ll try to qualify for the U.S. Amateur at Falmouth as well.

“The next day, I go to the Optimist. It’s going to be a busy week,” said Bouchard, who will head off to Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., a week after he returns from the Optimist International.

He will try out for the golf team as well as enter the school’s professional golf management program.

Bouchard also noted how fast the summer is disappearing.

“It’s weird that it’s already July,” he said. “I’m excited to start college, but I have found the summer is going by so quickly.”

Dave Barber can be reached at 990-8170, 1-800-310-8600, or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.