Defending two-time champion Caleb Manuel from Topsham and the Brunswick Golf Club shot a four-under-par 67 on Tuesday to share the first round lead of the Maine Amateur Golf Championship tournament at the Samoset Resort Golf Course in Rockport.
Manuel, who played for the University of Georgia this season after transferring from the University of Connecticut, carded four birdies on his last seven holes after shooting an even-par 34 through the first nine holes. He had two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine.
Manuel tied with Tyler Baker from the Portland Country Club in Falmouth, who netted birdies on four of the last five holes to post his 67.
Tom Caron from the Bangor Municipal Golf Course shot a three-under par 68 to tie for third with Ron Kelton from the Purpoodock Club in Cape Elizabeth and Kevin Byrne from the Waterville Country Club.
Caron shot even par through 15 holes before registering birdies at 16, 17 and 18; Kelton played a bogey-free round with birdies at 4, 8 and 9; and Byrne notched six birdies and a bogey over his last eight holes.
Andrew Slattery from the Portland Country Club and John Hayes IV from Purpoodock shot two-under par 69s along with Mitchell Tarrio from the Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro.
Slattery won the 2014 Maine Amateur, and Hayes IV won it the following year.
The only other golfers under par in the 132-man field were Drew Glasheen from the Waterville Country Club and Andrew Klein from the Sunday River Golf Club in Newry with one-under-par 70s.
The final two rounds will be on Wednesday and Thursday.
There will be a cut after Wednesday with only the players with the lowest 40 scores, plus ties, advancing to Thursday’s final round.
