New Day dawning at GBO Tourney starts today

BANGOR – Ryan Day’s last couple of months have been sort of like the weather for Wednesday’s Greater Bangor Open Pro-Am: a bit stormy early, with clouds clearing late.

Day, a Lamoine native who has relocated to West Palm Beach, Fla., tees off in his first big professional tournament as the Greater Bangor Open gets under way this morning.

Day has struggled a bit over the last few months, but shot a 1-under-par 70 in Wednesday’s pro-am.

“I hit a few crazy shots,” he said before trying his luck in Wednesday evening’s long drive contest. “I was kind of all over the golf course. That’s still me working on stuff and getting used to the things I’ve changed.”

Day will get a chance to see how far he’s come Thursday morning.

The first group tees off at 7 a.m. for Thursday’s first round. Friday’s second-round action begins also at 7 a.m.

The professional cut will be low 60 and ties, the amateur cut will be low 20 and ties and the Maine pro cut will be low 15 and ties. The final round of competition will be Saturday starting at 8 a.m.

Any ties in each division will be decided by a sudden-death playoff starting on Saturday’s 16th hole.

There will be a pro-am reception and tournament awards presentation Saturday at 7 p.m.

The 6,345-yard course will have a par of 69 for the championship.

The purse for the top professional is $10,000. The top Maine professional receives $1,000 and the top amateur finishers garner a $500 merchandise credit.

Now that Day is a professional, the money is definitely on his mind.

“It’s cash vs. credit,” said Day, who tees off at 10:44 a.m. Thursday and 7:24 a.m. Friday. “When you turn pro you’re basically saying, this is my career. It adds a little bit more pressure to it. Amateur is for the love of the game, but as a pro you’re trying to earn money and succeed.”

Day knows pressure: He won the 2000 Paul Bunyan Amateur in a playoff and the following year won a playoff in the U.S. Amateur Public Links qualifying tournament for northern New England.

The 24-year-old ticked off his recent trouble spots: not hitting enough tee shots onto the fairway, not getting shots in the green close enough, chipping and putting.

It’s a lot to work on.

But that’s just what Day did. He picked up a coach in Florida and worked on fixing his game, including some tinkering with his swing. It’s paid off.

“Up until about a week ago I really couldn’t go out and play on the golf course because it was so bad,” he said. “But I had a last lesson before I came up here and the past week or so it’s all come together. I’m kind of excited.”

Day doesn’t have any qualms about returning to his home state and a course at which he has played for 15 years.

“The course is a riot. It’s just fun to go out and play,” he said. “Everybody is so nice and everyone who comes here loves it. It’s just a fun tournament to play.”

Day, who attended Ellsworth High School and played four years of golf at George Washington University, figures his best finish at the GBO was his seventh-place effort last year.

Day now works at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“I do the grunt work,” he said with a smile.

Defending champion Paul Dickinson of Apopka, Fla., did not return for the tournament this year.

William Link won Wednesday’s pro-am with a 10-under 61. Former GBO winner Mike Baker of Bradley shot a 65 to tie for fifth place.