Joe Alvarez of Holden is hoping that spending the winter in Florida will be the final key to his winning the 40th Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament this year after his last two attempts came up a little short.

“I’ve been close the last two years,” said Alvarez. “I want to break through this year.”

The three-day tournament for the field of approximately 290 golfers begins today in three divisions at Bar Harbor Golf Course in Trenton, Bangor Municipal Golf Course, and Rockland Golf Club. The rotation for Division A (handicaps 0-9) is Bar Harbor today, Rockland on Saturday, and Bangor on Saturday. For Div. B (10-13), it’s Bangor, Rockland, Bar Harbor; and Div. C (14-30) is Bangor, Bar Harbor, Rockland.

The top 12 players in each division will be re-paired into threesomes so the leaders will play head-to-head the final day.

Alvarez lost a playoff to the teenaged Jesse Speirs of Bangor in 2002, then finished fourth last year, three strokes behind as Speirs repeated as champion.

Speirs won’t be able to defend his titles this time as he is competing in the FootJoy Boys Invitational in Greensboro, N.C. Speirs won’t return until Saturday night.

Alvarez, 24, wishes he could be here.

“You like to take down the defending champion if you’re going to win the tournament,” said Alvarez, who is familiar with Speirs’ game.

Alvarez is working in the pro shop at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono this year, and he also worked at the club last season as well. Speirs is a member at PVCC.

“We got to play a few times head-to-head,” said Alvarez. “We played 13 matches last year and I won seven. We’ve only been able to play two this year and I won both of them.”

The only time he has been able to play head-to-head with Speirs in the Bunyan, though, was the one-hole playoff in 2002. He would have liked to do it for a full round, at least, this year.

“I’d like to do it in a tournament,” he said.

One difference between Speirs’ game and his that Alvarez noted was that Speirs “drove the ball about 50 yards beyond me.”

Alvarez said his job at Bonita Bay Country Club in Naples, Fla., allowed him a lot of time to play and practice.

“In fact, they encouraged it,” he said. “Not a lot of clubs do that.”

He could see the change.

“I’m hitting the ball farther, not significantly, but it’s noticeable to me,” added Alvarez. “And my ball-striking is better.

“My long irons are better, but I hope not to have to hit a lot of long irons.”

Alvarez considers his short game, 8-irons down through the wedges, to be the best part of his game.

“My short game was not a problem, but that got better, too,” he said.

While Speirs won’t be competing, that doesn’t mean there’ll be a shortage of contenders.

Former Husson College teammate Corey Pion, who roomed and worked with Alvarez in Florida, will be one, according to Alvarez, as well as former champion Mike Norris of Newburgh, 2001 Bunyan titlist and 2003 Maine Amateur winner Ricky Jones of Rockland, 2002 Maine Amateur runner-up J.J. Frost of Brewer, and 2001 Maine Amateur runner-up Corey Poulin of Milford.

Norris and Jones tied for second last year, Frost was fifth, and Poulin eighth.

“I’m sure there are others,” said Alvarez. “I just don’t know all of them.”

Sunday afternoon is when he, and the rest, will.