Topsham’s Caleb Manuel has already played in the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, and the Live and Work in Maine Korn Ferry Tournament at the Falmouth Country Club.
He would like to add to those summer memories beginning Tuesday, when he looks to defend his Maine Amateur Golf Tournament title at the Webhannet Golf Club in Kennebunk.
The 103rd annual tournament will have 66 golfers teeing off on a 6,100-yard, par-71 layout which will be hosting the men’s event for the first time ever. It is a three-day, 54-hole tournament.
Manuel failed to make the cut in both previous tournaments this summer, including by just three shots in the Korn Ferry Tournament.
He tied for 152nd at the 122nd U.S. Open with a 17-over-par 157 after earning a spot by shooting a three-under-par 137 over two rounds at two courses in New York.
Manuel and Camden’s Cole Anderson earned sponsor’s exemptions to play in the Korn Ferry Tournament, and Manuel shot a two-over-par 144.
Anderson, who won the Maine Amateur in 2019 and 2020 and tied for third at the Korn Ferry Tournament last month to earn a spot in the following week’s Korn Ferry event in Colorado, won’t be in the field.
The 20-year-old Manuel, who was a sophomore at the University of Connecticut this past season and shared medalist honors with Seton Hall’s Gregor Tait at the Big East championships, shot a one-over-par 211 a year ago to edge Minot’s Will Kannegieser by one shot at the Maine Amateur at the Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor.
Manuel, who plays out of the Brunswick Golf Club, entered the final round tied with Kannegieser and Hampden native Joe Alvarez atop the leaderboard after two rounds before carding a two-under-par 68 to win it.
Both will also be in the field. Webannet is Alvarez’s home course.
Manuel and Alvarez will both tee off in the first groups on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.
Manuel and playing partners Ronald Kelton of the Purpoodock Club in Cape Elizabeth and Michael O’Brien of the Biddeford-Saco Country Club will tee off on the first hole while Alvarez, 13-time Maine Amateur champion Mark Plummer and Jack Quinn will begin their rounds on the 10th hole.
Plummer and Quinn both play out of the Augusta Country Club.
Among other former winners in the field will be Ricky Jones out of the Samoset Resort in Rockport and Ryan Gay out of the Portland Country Club. Each has won it three times.
John Hayes IV of the Purpoodock Club and Andrew Slattery of the Portland Country Club are also in the field. Hayes captured it in 2015, one year after Slattery.
