Jesse Speirs of Bangor headed to Fort Worth, Texas, last fall hoping to play a lot for Texas Christian University, one of the top collegiate programs in the country.

He did play in four of 11 varsity tournaments for the Horned Frogs, who are 38th in the country in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, and in the UST Texas Intercollegiate, where he finished tied for second.

Still, he had hoped for more.

“I thought I would have played better than I did,” said Speirs.

His stroke average for the four regular tournaments was 76.83, the highest of the eight players who competed in the varsity events, but four of the 12 team members didn’t get into even a single event.

“It took me a while to adjust to playing the courses,” said Speirs. “I could have played better, but I learned a lot.”

What he learned included patience, controlling his nerves, and working hard. He plans to take those lessons into a busy summer tournament schedule.

Before each college tourney, said Speirs, the TCU coach held a team qualifier. The top five scorers would make the trip. Occasionally, a team could bring individuals, also.

At first, he would try to be aggressive right from the start in the qualifiers.

“I started trying to make birdies and going as low as possible, but I learned to be patient,” said Speirs.

The problem with being aggressive, according to Speirs, is that big scores on a hole become as likely as birdies.

He started taking birdie opportunities as they came rather than pushing for them.

“I started keeping my mistakes around bogey,” he said.

Also, by playing so much competitive golf, he learned another thing as well.

“We had so many qualifiers. I would still be nervous [at a tournament], but now I know how to control myself,” said the 2002 and 2003 Paul Bunyan Amateur champion and 2002 Greater Bangor Open runner-up.

His most taxing time was when he played the Hall of Fame Invitational at Redstone Golf Club (site of the PGA Tour’s Houston Open) in Humble, Texas, then played the Texas Intercollegiate in Fort Worth starting the next day.

“We got back from Redstone at 11 p.m., then I had to get up at 7 a.m. for an 8 a.m. tee time,” said Speirs. “And we played 36 holes.”

He posted a pair of even-par 72s the first day, then added a 1-under 71 the final day for a 215 total, one stroke behind the winner.

After playing seven rounds in five days, it would be understandable to be overwhelmed by the experience.

“I didn’t mind it,” he said. “I liked it. It makes you a better player. That’s what I came to college for.”

His best finish among the varsity events was a tie for 35th at The Ridges Intercollegiate in Jonesboro, Tenn., when he shot an 8-over-par 224.

He said his high point, though, came after semester break when the team’s next event was the Waikoloa Invitational in Hawaii in early February.

“One was already exempt, so that meant four spots for 11 guys,” he said. “I worked hard. … I came back a week-and-a-half early [to practice], and I qualified.

“If I can put that kind of focus in all my tournaments, I’ll do well.”

He’ll have plenty of events to practice on this summer.

He thinks he’ll be playing in the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan June 9-11, and he’ll definitely play in the Monroe Invitational in Pittsford, N.Y., which is June 12-17. After that, he’ll have the Maine Amateur, the New England Amateur, the Public Links qualifier, the U.S. Amateur qualifier, the Greater Portland Open, the Barrett East Coast Amateur in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and maybe the GBO.

“Every time you play is a chance to get better,” said Speirs.

Girls golf program returns

The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Greater Bangor will host a Girls Golf Day on Saturday at the Hermon High School fields from 1 to 3 p.m. The Abnaki Girl Scout Council is the local sponsor.

The introductory event is for girls ages 7-17 who are new to golf. There is no need to register for Saturday, and the session will move inside in case of inclement weather.

There is no charge for Saturday’s program, but there will be for the summer program that follows, which will include at least 10 meetings from May to September. The summer sessions, which will be conducted by Lori Frost of Brewer and Hermon Meadow pro Thea Davis, are for all skill levels, and equipment is available.

For more information about Girls Golf Day or to register for the summer Girls Golf program, call the Abnaki Girl Scout Council at 1-800-464-3858 or 989-7474.

Fundraiser set for hospital

The Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Open will be held June 3-4 at Bar Harbor Golf Course in Trenton and Northeast Harbor Gold Club.

Organizers are expecting a field of 375 players – both men and women – for the popular tournament and hope to raise more than $25,000 for healthcare programs at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth. The entry fee is $85 with $60 being a tax-deductible contribution.

New this year is an adult/child tournament starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, including mini-tournaments and driving range activities for participants’ children, grandchildren, and spouses.

To register, call the hospital’s development office at 664-5337 or go online at www.mainehospital.org.

Dave Barber can be reached at 990-8170, 1-800-310-8600, or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.