Alvarez is Bunyan champion Last year’s runner-up edges Jones by 1 stroke

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ORONO – Joe Alvarez of Hampden stepped up to hit his tee shot on the 200-yard, par-3 16th hole Sunday at Penobscot Valley Country Club, trailing defending champion Ricky Jones of Thomaston by a stroke.

He drilled a 3-iron into a stiff breeze and his ball stopped 8 feet above the cup.

His resulting par propelled Alvarez to a one-stroke victory over Jones in the 44th Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament.

Alvarez shot a 3-over-par 73 at Penobscot Valley Country Club for a three-day total of 214, while Jones posted a 75 for 215.

Tom Ellsworth of Sable Oaks Golf Club in South Portland took third with 78 for 226, and there was a six-way tie for fourth at 232.

Bill Stewart Jr. of Pine Hill Golf Club in Brewer took Division B gross honors at 232, and Chandler Buie of Bangor and Bucky Owen of Orono shared the “C” title at 254. Dana Worster of Brewer won the Wells Fargo Reverse Mortgage senior flight with a 233.

“That was my best shot of the day,” said Alvarez of the shot on 16.

Jones had also hit 3-iron but came up short of the right side of the green and ended up making bogey.

“The 16th hole, that can either make a round or break a round,” said Alvarez, who was runner-up to Jones last year.

He parred the next hole while Jones made bogey and took a one-stroke lead entering the final hole, a 436-yard, par-4 uphill dogleg left.

Alvarez secured the win when he drained a 17-foot uphill putt for par.

Alvarez thought Jones hit his approach shot on the green on 18 and thought he did the same with his own.

They were both long and left and in thick rough, having to chip downhill to the pin.

Jones hit first and rolled his ball just past the edge of the cup, stopping 3 feet away.

Alvarez hit his a little firmer, and it rolled 17 feet beyond.

But when the putt dropped, he squatted and pumped both arms in quiet celebration.

“I did not want a playoff. I was beat,” said Alvarez, referring to the punishing heat. “When I got to 18, I could feel how tired I was.

“Ricky didn’t make it any cooler, either.”

Jones had started Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Alvarez after shooting a 3-under-par 67 at Rockland Golf Club on Saturday for a 140 total. Alvarez posted a 70 for 141, and it was nine shots back to third place entering the final round.

Jones had lengthened his lead to two shots through six holes after he birdied No. 3 and parred the other five, while Alvarez birdied 2 and 5 but bogeyed 4 and 6.

Then Alvarez went up by two when Jones bogeyed 7 and 8 and double-bogeyed 9 and Alvarez parred all three.

“Seven was discouraging,” said Jones, who won the Maine Amateur at PVCC in 2003. “That’s an easy par 5. Six there is like double bogey.”

Jones three-putted the next hole, then hit his approach shot on 9 over the back of the green.

He left his first chip in the heavy rough again, chipped to 5 feet right of the cup but two-putted for double bogey.

“I should’ve made sure to get that first one on the green, but I didn’t,” said Jones. “It would’ve been easier if I hadn’t messed up the previous two holes.”

Still, he managed to regain the lead with back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15, and Alvarez bogeyed 14 and parred 15.

Jones nearly made eagle on the par-5 15th, but his 8-foot downhill putt stopped a couple of inches short.

“I thought I just had to touch it,” Jones said of the eagle putt.

Alvarez wasn’t rattled by Jones’ rally.

“I never really got comfortable with a two-shot lead because I know Ricky can come back,” said Alvarez, who has often played with Jones in Maine State Golf Association weekend events as well as other tournaments.

“Even though this is my home course, I knew it was going to be tough,” Alvarez added. “We’ve played with each other a lot, and we know we’re both capable of winning.”

Sunday was Alvarez’s day.

Final-round Paul Bunyan tournament scores

DIVISION A

Alvarez, Joseph 71 70 73 214

Jones, Ricky 73 67 75 215

Ellsworth, Tom 77 73 76 226

Adams, Jayson 78 76 78 232

Caron, Tom 78 75 79 232

Hersey, Michael 79 73 80 232

Lycette, Steve 78 77 77 232

Winchester, Lon 78 76 78 232

Wiseman, Cash 78 74 80 232

Estabrook, Benjamin 76 79 78 233

Salfi, Kent 75 78 80 233

Tapley, Wyman 81 75 77 233

Worster, Dana 81 75 77 233

Johnson, Kent 79 74 81 234

Spaulding, Mitch 76 79 80 235

Allen, Butch 81 77 78 236

Dery, Ronald 81 76 80 237

Downing, John 82 76 79 237

Dubay, Jeremy 88 74 75 237

Michaud, Ralph 78 75 84 237

Wass, Jeff 82 78 78 238

Bouchard, John 84 77 78 239

Tiensivu, Robert 83 77 79 239

Catell, Casey 77 86 78 241

Glidden, Jerry 83 79 79 241

Burrell, Jay 78 82 82 242

Clark, Stephen 81 82 79 242

Fitch, Eric 81 81 80 242

Frey, Thomas 85 79 78 242

St. Louis, Brian 89 73 805 242

Carparelli, Nick 81 81 81 243

Ellis III, John 79 85 79 243

Hawley, Ray 80 83 80 243

Hobart, Barry 84 76 83 243

O’Brien, Mike 83 79 81 243

Royal Sr., John 78 81 84 243

Harvey, Jason 85 79 80 244

Kelley, Richard 82 83 79 244

Kimball, John 85 79 80 244

Estabrook, Timothy 79 82 85 246

Plourde, Dave 81 78 88 247

Sankey, Christopher 85 79 83 247

Dalfonso, Dan 76 90 82 248

Chambers, David 83 84 82 249

Altvater, Mark 83 78 90 251

Allen, Brandon 86 79 87 252

Guyer, Mark 85 76 92 253

Kirby, Sean 92 82 79 253

Greer, James 82 85 87 254

Jacobson, George 90 79 85 254

Burt, Jack 80 85 90 255

Fasulo, Fred 87 83 85 255

Wilber, Brent 87 79 89 255

St. Thomas, Michael 90 85 82 257

Alexander III, Joe 93 79 86 258

Grimes, Matthew 94 86 81 261

Lee, Brian 85 84 92 261

Mckay, Kevin 87 89 86 262

Welch, Donald 84 91 87 262

Dube, Mike 86 87 90 263

Gilman, Matthew 87 87 89 263

Mcguire, Michael 93 81 90 264

Richardson, Scott 84 87 93 264

Rouleau, Peter 84 87 94 265

TaylorHRIS 86 89 91 266

Ossinger, Randy 93 86 88 267

Hinton, Artie 93 89 94 276

Pierce, Mark 94 93 94 281

Lawley, Kevin NC NC NC NC

Weigang, Mike 89 NC NC 89

Armes, Travis 95 95

Moore, Mike 98 WD WD 98

Hurley, Walter 79 81 WD 160

Lano II, Andrew 90 78 NC 168

Fleming, Mike 97 86 NC 183

Gault, Michael 91 96 WD 187

DIVISION B

Stewart Jr., William 84 75 73 232

Backman, Ralph 77 86 80 243

Vanidestine, Jeff 85 85 73 243

Dephilippo, Ed 85 81 79 245

Hardy, Jonathan 90 79 76 245

Meo, Ed 79 89 78 246

Goodwin, Mike 83 81 84 248

Hutchins, Eric 83 86 79 248

Ireland, Greg 83 88 77 248

Thibodeau, Mike 87 83 78 248

Hayward, Rick 84 84 82 250

Jamieson, Chuck 87 81 82 250

Albert, John 88 77 86 251

Doucette, Norm 85 84 84 253

Kneeland, Otis 83 89 81 253

Williams, Andr 87 86 80 253

Roach, Timothy 86 88 80 254

Trafford, Tom 81 88 85 254

Fowle, Eric 92 83 81 256

Tweedie, Gregg 86 85 85 256

Callicoat, Larry 87 80 91 258

Benner, Arnie 86 92 81 259

Robinson, David 87 86 86 259

Smith, Duane 92 87 80 259

Conroy, Anthony 82 87 91 260

Mcintire, Jeffery 92 85 83 260

Rowe, Donald 87 87 86 260

Civiello, Aaron 89 87 85 261

Gammon, Rich 91 87 83 261

Vanidestine, Herb 87 83 91 261

Mitchell, Patrick 87 87 88 262

Guidn, Andy 86 88 89 263

Dyer, Jeff 84 93 87 264

Chipman, David 84 83 98 265

Poirer, Carl 76 92 97 265

Newman, Robert 89 90 86 265

Bragdon, Wayne 88 90 88 266

Commeau, Stan 92 83 91 266

Hill, Dean 85 93 88 266

Searles, Roy 88 88 90 266

Moreau, Roger 92 82 93 267

Smith, Dennis 99 79 89 267

St. Pierre, Marc 84 `88 95 267

Welch III, Ben 93 86 88 267

Bannister, John 93 83 92 268

Doucette, Mer 89 90 89 268

Albert, Tom 96 90 84 270

Corriveau, Dan 92 94 84 270

Hopkins, Terry 90 92 88 270

Richards , Chris 85 95 91 271

Walsh, Randy 87 96 88 271

Cilley, Stanley 88 92 95 275

Horn, Jim 92 89 94 275

Trafford Sr., Tom 96 90 89 275

Fahey, Jim 95 90 91 276

Gregory, Kevin 97 94 85 276

Brackett, Carl 93 90 94 277

Rowe, Gary 91 95 91 277

White, Russ 89 98 90 277

Browne, Lance 94 94 90 278

Doherty, Phil 93 100 86 279

Clark, Maurice 103 87 90 280

Seile, Vernon 94 88 98 280

Howard, Emery 102 88 91 281

Kennedy, Alan 92 96 93 281

Grant, Rod 103 94 85 282

Wagenknecht, Rich 87 93 104 284

Ryder, Charles 100 98 89 287

Boulier, Bob 97 99 93 289

Ouelette, Roland 107 103 102 312

Saucier, David 110 106 100 316

Missel, Jerome NC NC NC NC

Merrill, Tom WD WD WD WD

Civiello, Anthony 96 89 NC 185

Wiswell, Daniel 95 92 NC 187

Clark, Norm 88 100 NC 188

Douglas, Greg 97 97 NC 194

Bourgoin, Gerry 96 103 NC 199

DIVISION C

Buie, Chandler 80 85 89 254

Owen, Bucky 80 83 91 254

Baltzell, Frank 85 90 81 256

Spaulding, Bruce 87 86 84 257

Mclay, Mel 86 85 88 259

Grant, Clyde 85 86 91 262

Mogan, Mike 90 85 88 263

Tozier, Michael 82 87 96 265

Bergren, Wally 89 87 90 266

Hanson, Robert 89 91 86 266

Pickering, Chris 92 89 86 267

Browning, Mac 91 89 88 268

Cloutier, Bill 92 91 86 269

Koukos, Louie 93 93 84 270

Sudsbury, Steve 83 94 93 270

Macinnis, Craig 88 88 96 272

Pittman, Pete 95 88 89 272

Blake, Tom 90 91 94 275

Schencks Jr. Edward 96 90 90 276

Jackson, Randy 89 95 93 277

Kogelis, Robert 94 93 90 277

Salimen, Richard 87 93 97 277

Wetmore, Britt 89 92 96 277

Mountford, John 96 96 88 280

Reardon, Thomas 89 96 95 280

Ripley, Edward 92 92 96 280

Sturgeon, Don 96 90 95 281

Tozier, Kevin 101 94 86 281

Wheatley, Thomas 99 92 90 281

Mccormick, James 89 92 101 282

Sasek, Dean 93 96 93 282

Soucy, Vianney 98 93 91 282

Ireland, Shawn 99 92 92 283

Mclaughlin, Timothy 93 96 94 283

Martin, Dewey 97 95 92 284

Crosby, Gary 95 99 91 285

Kneeland, Tom 95 95 95 285

Terry, Wyllys 97 94 94 285

Carlow, Darren 90 94 102 286

Mccrea, Brian 94 101 92 287

Durgin, Brian 92 104 95 291

Howerton, Larry 100 96 96 292

Lacombe, Eric 88 101 103 292

Burke, Adam 99 96 98 293

Rhodes, Mark 93 102 100 295

Hall, Tom 105 91 101 297

Chotkowski, David 98 92 109 299

Douglas, Steven 110 94 98 302

Jandreau, Bruce 105 98 102 305

Hanson, James 115 95 99 309

Mccarthy, William 111 105 93 309

Baker, Travis 109 101 108 318

Bowden, William WD WD WD WD

Sawyer, Charles 93 94 187

Newhall, Donald 111 115 226