BANGOR – Kyle Gallo of Kensington, Conn., feels like his golf game has finally come together, while Billy Downes of Enfield, Conn., and Mike Baker of Bradley think it’s time for a little good luck to come their way.

Gallo and Downes, along with Todd Sapere of West Hartford, Conn., are tied for the lead at 3-under-par 66 after Thursday’s opening round of the 37th Greater Bangor Open golf tournament at Bangor Municipal Golf Course. Baker is a stroke back at 67.

Tied at 68 are Dan St. Louis of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., Bryce Wallor of Narragansett, R.I., and Kevin Boynton of Alexandria, Va.

Corey Poulin of Fairfield and Toby Spector of Waterville shared the low round among the amateurs, heading a large group at even-par 69.

Gallo, runner-up in the 1999 GBO, won a New England Pro Tour event in Vermont in June, played his way into a Nationwide Tour event in Hershey, Pa., and survived a Monday qualifier last week to get into the PGA Tour’s B.C. Open.

“I missed the cut [in the B.C. Open], but it was just such a good experience,” said Gallo. “I come back here, and I’ve got a lot of good experience behind me.”

He revamped his game to try to reach the PGA Tour, and he feels it’s finally paying off.

“It’s good to be able to just go out and play,” said Gallo, 28. “For two years straight, I’ve been working very hard. … I’m at the point now where I’m consciously not thinking about it. It’s ingrained.”

“I knew I had to make a change,” added Gallo. “I stuck with it and now here we are.”

Gallo’s day started slowly as he bogeyed the first hole, but he didn’t let it bother him.

“You’re going to make bogeys out here,” he said. “That’s just the way it is. I just relaxed and played well.”

He made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4, but bogeyed No. 8, and turned at even par.

Draining a 30-foot putt on No. 10 put him back under par.

He birdied 14 from 12 feet and sank a 2-footer from above the cup on 17 to complete his 66.

Downes, the 2000 GBO champion, tried qualifying Monday for the Greater Hartford Open in Connecticut, but bogeyed the third playoff hole and was eliminated.

“I was down a little bit after that, but when it comes time to play, I’m ready to go,” said Downes, who also missed qualifying for the U.S. Open by a stroke.

“Between that and the GHO, I’m due for some good luck,” said Downes.

He birdied No. 4, the only par-5 on the course for this event, and added back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 before making his only bogey on 14 when he hit his tee shot into the trees to the right of the fairway.

“That was the only real bad shot I hit all day,” said Downes.

He birdied 16 to get that stroke back, but missed a 5-footer for birdie on the next hole.

“That’s the only shot I’d really like to have back,” he said.

Sapere had the day’s strongest start with four birdies in his first nine holes.

He suffered bogeys on 12 and 15, though, before getting back to 3 under with a birdie on 16.

Baker, playing in the next-to-last group, started strong, making birdies on the first and fourth holes, and added a third birdie on No. 9. All three birdie putts were 5 feet or less.

He came up an inch short for birdie on 10, lipped out a 6-foot birdie try on 13, before suffering his first bogey when he missed a 5-foot putt on 14.

Baker sank a 21/2-foot putt on 17 but gave it back when his 5-foot par putt on the last hole lipped out.

“I made some and I missed some,” said Baker, who was the GBO co-champion in 1986.

“I’ve been playing well, but not scoring,” he said. “I haven’t been very lucky.”

But, he pointed out, “July and August are really when things get going.”