When the 43rd Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament gets under way starting today, Ricky Jones of Thomaston will have to be the odds-on favorite to win the three-day tournament.

Jones, a 35-year-old scratch golfer who plays out of Rockland, has won every one of the six Maine State Golf Association weekly tournaments he has played in this year with scores ranging from 65 to 69.

One man with a unique perspective on Jones is Joe Alvarez of Hampden – he has played on the same team as Jones for five of the MSGA events.

“He’s a great player,” said Alvarez. “The group is a lot of fun to play with.”

That familiarity means Alvarez knows he has his work cut out for him. He doesn’t feel out of place, though.

“Ricky and myself have played in a lot of tournaments, and we’ve been in a lot of final groups,” said Alvarez. “I know what he’s going to do.

“He’s going to charge ahead, and I just have to play my game. I just hope we’re in the last group [Sunday].”

The one weekend where Alvarez didn’t play with Jones was last weekend when Alvarez won the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Open by seven strokes.

The Bunyan field consists of approximately 240 players spread by handicap over three divisions which will rotate among the tourney’s three courses – Rockland Golf Club, Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor, and Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono.

Alvarez and Jones will be competing in Division A (handicaps from 0 to approximately 8), which begins play at Jones’ home club today. They will play Kebo on Saturday and finish Sunday at PVCC, which is Alvarez’s home club.

“It’s not often we get to play at each other’s course,” said Alvarez. “We didn’t play at either of our courses last year.”

Jones finished second to Shawn Warren of Windham in the Bunyan last year when rain washed out the final two rounds. Warren posted a 67 at Kebo to Jones’ 70. Alvarez tied for fourth at 72.

Warren isn’t competing this year, though, because he is turning pro.

Division B (roughly 8-14) will start at Kebo, move to PVCC, and finish at Rockland. Division C (roughly 15 and up) starts at PVCC, goes to Rockland, and ends at Kebo.

Alvarez said he has been trying to work out a few minor kinks before the Bunyan.

“I usually take a lesson with [PVCC pro] Colin [Gillies], try to straighten out a few things,” said Alvarez.

“I’ve been working on my setup, trying to get everything squared up,” he added.

He’s confident that it won’t give him any trouble during the Bunyan.

“At this stage, my swing is pretty simple,” Alvarez said. “I try not to have too many moving parts.”

If he does have trouble with any part of his game, Alvarez believes he can overcome it.

“My short game keeps me in it,” he said. “If I hit a bad tee shot or second shot, I feel like I can get [the ball] close and make par.”

“If you’re making pars, you should be in the hunt,” said Alvarez. “That’s one of my strengths.”

Jones has plenty of history on his side.

He has already won the Bunyan three times (2001, ’04, ’05). He also won the Maine Open Golf Championship last August and was the Maine Amateur champion in ’03 and ’04.

Other potential contenders include Tom Caron and Ben Estabrook of Bangor, Ray Hawley of Madison, Ross McGee of Clinton, and Jeff Wass of Rockland, who is also a member of Jones’ group.

Caron shot a 6-under-par 66 Saturday to set the course record at JaTo Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. Mike Norris of Newburgh also set the record that day, but the 1999 Bunyan champ is not playing this year.

Another notable absentee is Jesse Speirs of Bangor, the 2002 and ’03 winner.

The top players in each division after the first two days will be re-paired into new groups at the end of the field for Sunday’s final round.

Bunyan Tourney

PAST CHAMPS

Past 10 winners of Paul Bunyan golf tourney.

2006 Shawn Warren

2005 Ricky Jones

2004 Ricky Jones

2003 Jesse Speirs

2002 *Jesse Speirs

2001 Ricky Jones

2000 *Ryan Day

1999 Mike Norris

1998 Ed Flowerdew

1997 Ed Flowerdew

(*-won sudden-death playoff)