Jones perseveres, wins 4th Bunyan McGee, Alvarez finish in tie for 2nd

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ORONO – Chipper doesn’t quite describe Ricky Jones’ mood Sunday, but it does describe what held his game together Sunday en route to winning the 43rd Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament.

“Chipping was the only thing I did right,” said Jones, who posted a 1-over-par 73 at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono for a three-day total of 4-over-par 216.

In winning his fourth Bunyan, Jones finished four strokes ahead of Ross McGee of Fairfield and Joe Alvarez of Hampden. McGee shot a 74 Sunday for his 220, while Alvarez fired a 69.

Adam Duplisea, playing out of Bangor Municipal Golf Course, finished fourth with 77 for 226. Steve Lycette of Westbrook (80) and Tom Ellsworth (78) tied for fifth at 227.

Joseph Alexander III of Winterport topped Division B with a 78 at Rockland for 234, and Pete Webb of Hermon Meadow Golf Club won Division C after shooting 88 at Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor for 256.

Lycette, who played in the final group with Jones and McGee, marveled at Jones’ chipping prowess.

“I see now why he’s been champion. I’m learning a lot from him [about chipping],” said Lycette, a Bangor native who used to be a pro for six years.

“He’s probably one of the best chippers I’ve ever seen,” said McGee, who realized his title hopes were pretty much over after a particular chip.

“When he chipped in on 15, I figured at that point … it was pretty much smooth sailing [for Jones],” said McGee.

The 30-yard chip-in for birdie on the par-5 15th probably saved Jones emotionally as much as it did his score. He was frustrated by his first three strokes on the 465-yard hole.

“I thought from the [2004 Maine] Amateur that I could hit 3-wood [off the tee] and be over the bunkers,” said Jones.

Instead, he had a severe sidehill lie in the grass just before the second bunker. Jones had to stand in the bunker to get a swing at it.

He tried to hit it hard to get to the fairway, but it slammed into the upslope at the back of the bunker and popped out into the heavy rough, still nearly 200 yards from the green.

“I was frustrated I was in the rough again,” he said.

His next shot ended up in the fairway on the left side about 20 yards short of the green.

Jones’ chip ran beyond the pin but curled to the right and came back down the green slowly until dropping in. McGee, who was four back, and Lycette also made birdies but lost opportunities to make up any ground on Jones.

McGee parred No. 16 to cut Jones’ lead to three, but they all birdied 17, and Jones’ bogey on the final hole was good enough to secure the title.

Jones, who played the front nine even par, was baffled about what happened on the back.

“I couldn’t tell what it was,” he said. “I thought I was hitting it good, then it all went south.”

It started with his drive on the 501-yard, par-5 10th when he hit it a little thin and pulled it into the left rough. His shot from there went about 10 yards, maybe.

His third shot landed in the fairway but rolled into the rough again.

“I started coming over the top,” he said, “and I couldn’t stop it.”

Swing and putting trouble afflicted Lycette as well. He started the day four strokes back but never could get closer.

“If I could have made a couple of birdie putts early, I think I would have been in it,” said Lycette. “Once I three-putted, that put pressure on me and I started overswinging.”

“I hit it pretty well all day,” said McGee, whose goal was to make four or five birdies.

He made five, but he also had three bogeys and two double bogeys.

“It’s hard to shoot under par with two double bogeys,” he said.

Alvarez, who started eight strokes behind Jones, didn’t think he had much of a chance to catch him.

“I figured for me to even have a chance, I would have to have some help from Ricky and shoot 67,” said Alvarez.

“Ricky didn’t help me and I would have had to shoot 65,” he added.

Final round scores for Bunyan tournament

DIVISION A

Jones, Ricky 70 73 73 216

McGee, Ross 70 76 74 220

Alvarez, Joseph 75 76 69 220

Duplisea, Adam 72 77 77 226

Lycette, Steve 71 76 80 227

Ellsworth, Tom 73 76 78 227

Buteau, Tobey 74 74 81 229

Caron, Tom 75 77 77 229

Barnicle, Scott 73 81 75 229

Estabrook, Ben 76 78 75 229

Salfi, Kent 76 77 77 230

Dalfonso, Daniel 78 77 76 231

Hawley, Ray 74 81 77 232

Reading, Jim 76 77 81 234

Glidden, Jerry 77 78 79 234

Sankey, Chris 80 80 74 234

Downing, John 78 77 80 235

Worster, Dana 81 78 76 235

Tibbetts, Ronald 78 76 82 236

Harvey, Jason 77 86 73 236

Wass, Jeff 74 82 82 238

Wohl, Brandon 78 78 82 238

Norton, Philip 77 78 84 239

Reading, Brian 77 78 84 239

St. Thomas, Mike 74 81 84 239

Dery, Ronald 77 79 83 239

Kus, Tom 78 85 76 239

Bouchard, John 76 82 83 241

McFarlane, Alex 75 83 83 241

McFarlane, Jim 74 81 87 242

O’Brien, Michael 78 77 87 242

Burrell, Jay 81 79 82 242

Chambers, Dave 79 83 80 242

Fray, Thomas 77 85 80 242

Allen, Butch 79 81 83 243

McGuire, Michael 76 88 79 243

Spaulding, Mitch 78 74 92 244

Guyer, Mark 84 73 87 244

Gray Jr., Vance 81 83 80 244

Jacobsen, George 76 82 87 245

Burt, Jack 78 84 83 245

Hobart, Barry 83 81 81 245

Garland, Scott 82 83 80 245

Plourde, Dave 82 77 87 246

Welch III, Donald 77 84 86 247

Self, Doug 84 83 80 247

Haskell, Tom 84 78 86 248

Eastabrook, Tim 76 87 85 248

Fitch, Erik 84 82 82 248

Kelley, Richard 87 83 79 249

Wilbur, Brent 84 86 79 249

Duplisea, Dale 81 80 89 250

Boucher, Chris 81 85 84 250

Lyons, Neil 84 83 84 251

Manganello, Ed 75 87 90 252

Kirby, Sean 82 85 85 252

Wilkens, Brad 83 84 85 252

Catell, Casey 84 84 85 253

Hurley, Walter 81 82 91 254

Wiseman, Cash 82 79 94 255

Hotham, Dan 84 84 87 255

Hanscom, Ken 85 85 85 255

Kimball, John 89 80 87 256

Hutchins, Eric O. 82 90 86 258

Lee, Brian 79 86 94 259

Altvater, Mark E. 86 89 84 259

Fasulo, Fred 80 90 90 260

Kenney, Tim 87 85 88 260

Johnson, Brian 87 91 85 263

Robichaud, Andy 89 89 87 265

Laroche, Pat 87 93 94 274

Wyatt, Matt 87 95 92 274

Pearson, Chris 94 85 97 276

Smith, Richard 94 90 100 284

Arms, Travis 91 88 107 286

Missel, Jerome wd wd wd 0

Winchester, Nick wd wd wd 0

Royal, John 78 wd wd 78

Winchester, Lon 83 wd wd 83

Freeman, Dustin 79 79 wd 158

Hall, Dennis 80 83 163

Curtis, Mark 84 86 nc 170

Nichols, Paul J. 85 86 171

Bednar, Mike 86 86 wd 172

DIVISION B

Alexander III, Joe 75 81 78 234

Stewart Jr., Will 86 84 74 244

Greer, Jim 82 81 84 247

Benner, Arnold 81 83 83 247

Ireland, Gregory 84 83 83 250

Backman, Ralph 80 86 85 251

Howard Jr., Emery 84 85 82 251

Vanidestine, Jeff 83 86 82 251

Goodwin, Mike 82 88 81 251

Albert, John 85 83 85 253

Corriveau, Dan 85 86 82 253

Moreau, Roger 90 83 81 254

Townsend, Terrie 84 85 86 255

Williams, Andrew 82 88 85 255

Fancy, Brett 88 85 83 256

Smith, Duane 90 85 81 256

Callicoat, Larry 88 80 89 257

Hayward, Rick 86 83 88 257

Davis, Robert 84 89 84 257

Dephillipo, Ed 82 86 90 258

McKay, Kevin 89 84 85 258

Roach, Timothy 83 89 87 259

St. Pierre, Marc 89 92 78 259

Leavitt, James 89 86 85 260

Fowle, Eric 86 92 82 260

Owen, Bucky 87 89 86 262

Trafford Jr., Tom 90 86 87 263

Richards, Chris 92 88 83 263

Hardy, Jonathan 90 87 87 264

Tweedie, Gregg 88 89 87 264

York, Donovan 85 96 83 264

Pellitier, Bruce 88 86 91 265

Treadwell, Brian 86 91 89 266

Merrill, Tom 85 87 95 267

Doucette, Norman 85 93 89 267

Rowe, Gary 91 91 86 268

Doherty, Philip 99 85 84 268

Kneeland, Otis 95 84 90 269

Clukey, Scott 89 91 89 269

Cough, John 94 89 86 269

Bragdon, Wayne L. 89 92 89 270

Meo, Edward 98 85 87 270

Annas, Bill 91 96 83 270

Fahey, Jim 88 88 95 271

Bannister, John R. 89 89 93 271

Jameson, Chuck 91 87 93 271

Starr, Chuck 87 92 92 271

Gregory, Kevin 96 87 89 272

Poirer, Carl 97 86 89 272

Gilman, Matthew 91 97 85 273

Dagley, Bill 86 104 84 274

Robinson, Dave 87 98 91 276

Guida, Andy 92 95 89 276

Chipman, David 98 92 86 276

Rowe, Donald 90 99 89 278

Fortin, Tom 94 95 90 279

Clark Jr., Norman 100 90 89 279

McDonald, Tom 94 91 95 280

Barnicle, John 92 96 92 280

Hinton, Charles 94 95 91 280

Ciley, Stanley M. 99 93 88 280

Chambers, Doug 98 98 85 281

Wetmore, Britt 91 92 99 282

Mogan, Mike 90 95 97 282

Welch III, Ben 91 96 95 282

Doucette, Mer 96 92 94 282

Hopkins, Terry 95 97 91 283

Trafford , Thomas 92 100 93 285

Pickering, Chris 100 93 93 286

Kotredes, John 100 94 92 286

Lincoln, Chris 89 101 97 287

Driscoll, James 96 95 96 287

Bourgoin, Gerry 97 98 92 287

Ripley, Edward 89 101 101 291

Throckmorton, T 96 94 101 291

Wiswell, Dan 98 98 95 291

Benner, Darrell A. 93 100 105 298

Smith, Robert 95 101 102 298

Smith, Clinton 104 99 97 300

Cull, Wade 95 110 97 302

Albert, Tom 110 104 104 318

Theriault, Terry 92 NC NC 92

Urquhart, Glynn 86 87 NC 173

Brooks, Jason 90 85 NC 175

Davies, Bruce 93 95 WD 188

Tracy, Bob 107 98 NC 205

DIVISION C

Webb, Pete 86 82 88 256

Sudsbury, Steve 96 74 87 257

Rollins, Joe 89 82 89 260

Buie, Chandler 94 86 81 261

Gray, Alan W. 83 88 91 262

Neagle, Chris 92 92 80 264

Cloutier, Bill 87 89 91 267

Gray, Darin 91 93 84 268

Tozier, Michael 93 87 89 269

Gammon, Dana 91 92 87 270

Brackett, Carl 100 87 84 271

Baltzell, Frank 86 91 95 272

Gammon, Richard 89 96 87 272

Tozier, Kevin 92 90 91 273

McLay, Mel 97 84 93 274

Belcher, Ken 96 91 87 274

Hanson, Rob 92 88 95 275

Grover, Chris 93 95 87 275

Carlow, Darren 92 93 91 276

Koukos, Louie 95 87 94 276

Grant, Clyde S. 95 90 92 277

McCormack, Jim 93 91 93 277

Labree, Kevin 92 93 93 278

Jacques, Paul 95 93 91 279

Johnston, Joseph 93 94 92 279

Durgin, Brian 92 89 99 280

Salimen, Richard 96 93 92 281

McLaughlin, Tim 95 93 94 282

Hogg, Scott 98 92 93 283

Smith, Dennis 101 96 86 283

Blake, Thomas W. 91 98 96 285

Fiandaca, Frank 95 96 94 285

Sturgeon, Don 95 92 99 286

Wagenknecht, Rich 89 93 104 286

Browning, Mac 101 90 97 288

Harmon, Jim 102 91 96 289

Rhodes, Mark D. 103 88 98 289

Marston, Duke 101 92 97 290

Cormier, Phil 96 100 94 290

Barrows, Neil H. 91 96 103 290

Bergren, Wally 103 92 96 291

Jackson, Randy D. 105 91 96 292

Carr, Nathan 98 89 105 292

Schencks, Edward 102 95 96 293

Chotkowski, David 104 92 98 294

MacInnis, Craig 103 95 96 294

McCrea, Brian 102 100 94 296

Leavitt, David 103 94 99 296

Worster, Gary 100 91 106 297

Koeglis, Robert 104 91 106 301

Casey, Michael 111 94 101 306

Parker, Gary 107 99 103 309

Howerton, Larry 102 98 110 310

Carlow, Joe 114 98 100 312

Cook, Gary W. 100 98 115 313

Hall Sr., Tom 104 107 106 317

Douglas, Steven 102 99 118 319

Greenwood, Mike 106 104 110 320

Kendrick, Jon 107 109 105 321

Wescott, Seth 123 109 93 325

Gerrow, Stuart 111 106 108 325

Libby, David 110 104 111 325

Grant, Bruce 107 109 117 333

Newhall, Donald 115 108 112 335

Beane, Herbert 117 104 119 340

Bowden, William 119 114 110 343

Wiersma, Bruce WD WD NC 0

Howard, Skip 99 DQ NC 99

Norton, Steve 99 91 NC 190

Bowman, David 113 108 NC 221