Ricky Jones will open defense of his title against 125 challengers when the 85th Maine Amateur Golf Championship begins Monday at Sanford Country Club.

After 18 holes of stroke play Monday and 18 more on Tuesday, the field will be trimmed to the low 32 scorers for match play beginning Wednesday. The 16 Wednesday winners will play Thursday morning, and those victors will play Thursday afternoon. The four semifinalists square off Friday morning, and the last two competitors will vie for the title Friday afternoon.

Mark Plummer of Manchester, who has won the Maine Amateur 13 times, including the last medal play one in 2000 and the first two when match play was restored in 2001 and 2002, thinks the tournament is getting too long.

“I think it’s a little ridiculous,” said Plummer of the Maine State Golf Association’s decision to add an extra day. “And I was on the committee.”

Only 16 advanced to match play the first three years and it was finished in two days. Now it will take three.

He expressed the same opinion at those meetings, but the committee decided to add a round of match play.

“They surveyed the field [last year], and I guess that’s what they wanted,” said Plummer.

“A lot of people didn’t like the idea of only 16 advancing to match play,” he said.

He suggested having only one 18-hole qualifier before going to match play.

“That’s the way it was 30, 35 years ago,” said Plummer, whose first Amateur crown came in 1973, the last time match play was used to determine the winner before it was reinstituted in 2001. It was three days of stroke play from 1974-2000.

The other issue for the future could be course availability.

“Sanford really wanted it, so it was kind of them to offer the extra day,” said Plummer. “I don’t think you’ll find that every year.”

As for his own game, Plummer said it’s OK.

“Everything is pretty much the same,” he said. “I’m hitting the driver and the irons all right and occasionally hitting the putts well, not very often.”

Since Jones ended his most recent three-year reign, Plummer is feeling “less pressure than usual.”

He believes, though, that Jones is still the man to beat.

Jones defeated former University of Maine golf teammate Jay Livingston of Kennebunkport 2 and 1 in last year’s final at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono.

Last month, Jones won his second Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament by five strokes over Joe Alvarez of Holden and Corey Poulin of Skowhegan and six over Mike Norris of Newburgh.

All four of those golfers will be gunning for Jones again as will 2003 Amateur semifinalists Scott Dewitt of Biddeford and Corey Pion of Bangor, 2002 runner-up J.J. Frost of Brewer, 1999 Amateur titlist Ron Brown Jr. of Falmouth Foreside, and former pros Len Cole of Hampden, Marc Siewertsen of Scarborough, and Jim Veno of Westbrook.

Veno is playing in the Amateur for the first time since 1963. He won it in 1960 and 1962.

Sanford Country Club is hosting the Maine Amateur for the first time, but the MSGA, which conducts the Amateur, held the Mid-Amateur there in 1998 and the Senior Amateur there the next year.

The course will play at 6,583 yards and a par of 72.

RECENT WINNERS

2003 ? Ricky Jones; 2002 ? Mark Plummer; 2001 ? Mark Plummer

2000 ? Mark Plummer;1999 ? Ron Brown Jr.; 1998 ? Eric Crouse; 1997 ? Mark Plummer; 1996 ? Mark Plummer; 1995 ? Casey Bourque; 1994 ? Mark Plummer; 1993 ? Dan Ladd; 1992 ? Rick Ambrose; 1991 ? Sean Gorgone

1990 ? Sean Gorgone; 1989 ? Mark Plummer; 1988 ? Sean Gorgone; 1987 ? Sean Gorgone; 1986 ? Mark Plummer; 1985 ? Bob Webber; 1984 ? Mark Plummer; 1983 ? Mark Plummer; 1982 ? Mark Plummer; 1981 ? Ralph Noel Jr.

1980 ? Ralph Noel Jr.; 1979 ? Oren Shiro; 1978 ? Bob Mathews; 1977 ? Bruce Samaklis; 1976 ? Mark Plummer; 1975 ? Ron Brown; 1974 ? Ray Fickett; 1973 ? Mark Plummer; 1972 ? Tom Boulton; 1971 ? Rick Ambrose; 1970 ? John Mills