Eleven years ago, Deane Beman wouldn’t have been able to play in the 87th Maine Open. He likely would’ve been in New Jersey this past weekend at Baltustrol Golf Club for the 87th PGA Championship.

Beman, you see, was the PGA Tour commissioner from 1974-1994. Things are different now, though.

“I play a lot. I play every day I want to, five, six days a week,” said Beman, who lives in Kennebunkport in the summer and plays out of Cape Arundel. “I came here to win the tournament.”

Well, he didn’t win, but Beman, 67, did finish at three-under for the tournament. He shot 73, 68, 72.

Whiteman misses the cut

Two weeks ago, Saco’s John Whiteman was playing his best golf of the summer. He beat Cape Elizabeth’s Ron Kelton to win the Maine Junior Championships.

So, naturally, he had high expectations heading into the Maine Open – even if he was a high school golfer amongst professionals. But right from the start, the Thornton Academy senior-to-be struggled to find his game.

Whiteman, who was hoping to become the second amateur in as many years to win the event, shot 74, 75 to miss the cut.

“I’m really disappointed, but it happens, I guess. It’s a learning experience and hopefully I can get better and make the cut in the future,” he said, after Friday’s round. “It was everything. I hit my driver terrible. I didn’t make any putts. I just had a really bad tournament, didn’t do anything right. But it happens, I guess.”

Warren on to bigger and better things

Last year’s winner, Windham’s Shawn Warren, the first amateur champion since 1971, passed up a chance to defend his title this year.

That was because he couldn’t pass up a chance to play in the Canadian Amateur Championship. Warren qualified for the event by finishing in fourth place at the Barrett East Coast Amateur Championship, held in New Brunswick.

Kelton punishes himself

Cape Elizabeth graduate Ron Kelton shot a 71 in the first round of the tournament, which meant he was in good position to make the amateur cut when the second round began.

But Kelton, who is taking a year off before college to work and work on his game, penalized himself with a two-stroke penalty early in the second round. He chipped a ball that rolled into his putter and immediately knew what he had to do.

“(My partners) didn’t say anything, but I had to say it myself. That could’ve been a disqualification,” said Kelton. “I battled back as much as I could, but the birdie putts weren’t dropping. I had four or five inside of 10 feet, but they wouldn’t fall in.”

Roylance straightening things out

Rob Roylance was in Las Vegas this past spring playing golf when a friend of a friend remarked, “The kid has a crooked elbow.”

Roylance, an Old Orchard Beach High grad, who plays golf at Stetson University had always wondered why his backswing was so bad when his downswing was so good.

Now he knew – he broke his arm when he was younger and it never healed correctly. As a result, his left forearm doesn’t rotate all the way around to the right like it should be able to.

But Roylance, who shot 80, 73, has been getting treatment since learning of the problem, and he’s confident that everything should be back to normal in the near future.

Dressing for success

Friday’s 12:51 tee time contained two golfers whose wardrobe choices differed ever so slightly.

While pro Mike Colandro was wearing old-fashioned knickers a la the late Payne Stewart, one of his playing partners, Buxton’s Mike Napolitano, chose comfort over style. He went with spiked sandals on his feet instead of golf shoes.

“I love playing in sandals when it’s nice weather,” said Napolitano, a Bonney Eagle High grad. “It’s so comfortable. As long as it’s not wet it’s fine. I love it.”

Together again after all these years

It was just like old times for Windham’s Bill Robinson and Scarborough’s Cash Wiseman. The golfers grew up competing against each other in the Bangor area and were paired together for the first two rounds.