OAKLAND – Lance Libby of Sidney is familiar with Waterville Country Club, the site of this week’s 88th Maine Amateur Golf Championship.

“I’ve worked here for six years,” he said.

He usually works in the pro shop or the bag storage room. While he gets paid for that, it’s one of the benefits that has helped his golf game the most.

“I get to play a lot, which is nice,” he said. “Free golf is a nice perk.”

Tuesday’s round wasn’t free, but it was nice.

Libby posted a 1-under-par 69 to hold a one-stroke lead over four others: Joe Alvarez of Hampden, Keegan Fennessey of Fox Ridge Golf Club in Auburn, Mark Plummer of Manchester, and Eric Higgins of Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunk.

Todd Kirn of Webhannet in Kennebunk Beach is sixth at 71, and Ricky Jones of Thomaston is tied for seventh at 72 with Toby Spector of Waterville and Gary Manoogian of Westbrook.

After today’s second round, the field will be cut to the low 40 and ties for Thursday’s 18-hole final round.

Libby doesn’t overuse his playing privilege, but he does make it work for him.

“I play two or three times a week,” he said. “I usually focus on my weaknesses, especially when I’m practicing.”

Another three times a week he practices his putting.

“I got out for about a half-hour and just drill 4-footers,” he said. “Then when I’m on the golf course, it’s nothing.”

He proved that on the 18th hole when he carried his approach shot from the right rough over the right front greenside bunker. His ball stopped about 4 feet from the cup, straight up a slight rise.

“I left it in a good spot,” he said and proved it when he drained the putt for the outright lead.

He pointed out that his local knowledge of the golf course was, possibly, more than important.

“It was huge,” he said. “Even that putt on 18. I’ve had that putt a million times.”

Libby, 22, just graduated from Husson College in Bangor, where he was a member of the golf team. He credits his play for the team and coach Bruce MacGregor with improving his game.

“I learned so much at Husson,” he said.

“It was really disciplined but a lot of fun and it showed,” Libby added. “We had a lot of good tournaments.”

One of the fun sides of Husson golf is the annual Florida trip in March.

“It’s 10 days, including eight with golf,” said Libby. “We play 36 holes a day, and it wouldn’t be possible without the Husson alumni who are down there.”

The courses are generally longer and more difficult than most (in Maine), he said, and they have different grass surfaces that require different touches.

“I learned different styles of chips and how to get the ball really rolling,” he said. His learning came through Tuesday.

“I love these greens, and the speed helped me out a lot today,” Libby said.

Libby played the front nine in even par, then made one bogey and one birdie before making birdie on the final hole to get under par.

Alvarez opened by draining a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole, then got up and down from the greenside bunker for birdie on No. 3. Then came his first mistake.

“I hit a bad wedge in [on No. 7],” he said. “It hit on the far side but spun back and rolled into the water. I made double bogey.”

He made a 12-foot birdie putt on 13, a long, downhill par 3, but he missed a short par putt on 16 to fall back to even again.

Plummer, a 13-time winner of this event, bogeyed No. 8 when he three-putted from the apron and birdied 14 when he sank a 10-foot putt. The rest were pars.

“I hit the ball good, made a few putts. … It was a fairly stress-free round,” he said.

Jones, a two-time winner of the Amateur, had no such luck. He three-putted for bogey on the last hole, just missing a long birdie putt that would have put him at even par.

He was not pleased with his round.

“It was terrible,” he said with a smile as he quickly headed for work in Thomaston. “That’s all you need to know. It was terrible.”