But you still need to activate your account.
BANGOR – For William Link, a sunny day at Bangor Municipal Golf Course turned into just what the doctor ordered.
Link, a 25-year-old pro from Acton, Mass., recorded six 3’s in a row in the middle of Friday’s second round of the 37th Greater Bangor Open golf tournament on the way to posting a 7-under-par 62. That gave him a share of the tournament lead at 5-under-par 133 with 2000 GBO champ Billy Downes of Enfield, Conn.
Downes, co-leader at 66 after Thursday’s first round, came in a little after Link with a 67.
They lead Kyle Gallo of Kensington, Conn., the other first-round co-leader, by a stroke. Gallo posted a 68.
In fourth at 135 is Shannon Sykora of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Kevin Boynton of Alexandria, Va., and Jim West of Griswold, Conn., are tied for fifth at 136. Boynton shot a second straight 68, and West shot a 66 Friday.
The low Maine pro is Mike Baker of Bradley at 140, and Corey Poulin of Milford is the low amateur at 138. Baker, the assistant pro at Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor and a former Bangor Muni assistant, shot a 73 Friday. Poulin recorded a second straight 69.
The field was cut to the low 45 pros and ties, all of the Maine pros, and the low 15 amateurs and ties for this morning’s 18-hole finale. Play will start at 7:30 a.m. on the 10th hole as the nines are reversed for the last round.
“I started seeing a sports psychologist [in April],” said Link. “I’m trying to have more fun on the golf course. Most golfers will tell you we’re our own worst enemies.”
Link said he couldn’t enjoy his good shots because he expected them and he dwelled too much on his bad shots. That’s when he decided to see the psychologist.
“I thought it couldn’t hurt,” said Link. “I figured if I don’t like what he says, I’ll see somebody else or ditch it altogether.”
The problem, he said, is “at our level, we expect the good shots, but you’ve still got to execute them. I just want to be happy with executing the shot.”
He said he doesn’t have any set agenda. He only calls on his sports psychologist when he feels the need.
“What I’m trying to accomplish is very small steps,” he said. “I try to have my mind working with my body instead of against it.
“Today, they were on the same page.”
That page included the six 3’s, starting with a par on the sixth hole. He followed that with four straight birdies, and capped it with another par-3 on 11.
He also birdied Nos. 1, 4, and 14, and had no bogeys.
“It was pretty easy today,” said Link, who also topped Wednesday’s pro-am with a 61. “It was a stress-free round. I drove it where I wanted to, and I hit a lot of irons in close.”
Hitting irons close was something Downes had a little more trouble doing.
“It was tough to get anything near the hole for a while,” said Downes. “When the wind starts swirling like [today], you have to aim for the fat party of the green.”
That can minimize the chances for birdies, though, according to Downes.
“I two-putted a lot from 20 feet,” he said.
Gallo recorded 15 pars before making a birdie on 16. He finished with two more pars.
“I played good, but I didn’t make anything.”
He remains upbeat about his chances of winning.
“Anything can happen on this course,” he said.
Baker’s troubles were centered around the par-5 fourth and par-4 14th holes, making 6 on each.
“You feel like you lose two shots to the field when you do that,” said Baker of his bogey on No. 4.
On 14, he hit his tee shot into the trees on the right, and his pitch shot out ran into the rough on the far side. His third shot reached the green, but then he three-putted.
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