BIDDEFORD — Chris Deroche’s plan was to go out, shoot well and score better than he did last year. The fact that he finished with the lowest score at the first Maine Amateur Golf Championship Qualifier at Biddeford-Saco Country Club on Tuesday, was a pleasant bonus.
“Coming into the day I was just hoping to beat the round that I had last year when I qualified on the number with a 79,” said Deroche, who paced the field with a one over-par 72. “I have been playing pretty good coming into the qualifier and my goal was to shoot something under 75 and I did that. I’m pretty happy with how I played.”
A total of 38 players from Tuesday’s field qualified for the Maine Amateur Championship, scheduled for July 10-12 at Sunday River Gold Club in Newry.
For Deroche, the winning performance was one that he hopes will give him a boost as he heads toward his third Maine Amateur Championship appearance.
“Posting a good number at the qualifier really gives me some confidence to go up to Sunday River and hopefully keep this momentum going,” Deroche said. “I’m looking forward to getting up there and posting a good number on the first day to get myself into the running.”
Deroche, 26, enjoyed a great start Tuesday as he birdied the opening hole, a 384-yard par 4. He added two more birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 3-under par 32.
Four bogeys on the back nine brought him back to the field.
“If you look at my splits I was 32, 40,” said Deroche. “I would have been a little more pleased with my round if I was a little more consistent. It was an eight-stroke difference there and I would have been better with my round if I could have closed that gap a little bit.
Peter Wright, a 33-year-old club champion from Dunegrass Country Club, enjoyed the early lead before seeing Deroche post his score.
Wright shot 73 and finished tied with Andrew Stonehouse (Martindale County Club) for second place.
“I thought the course was very good,” Wright said. “The greens were in great shape and there were some very tough pin placements out here today. I hit the ball really solid today but I just missed some easy putts. My score could have been lower but I just didn’t capitalize. I missed four three-footers.”
Two more qualifiers will be held in advance of the Maine Amateur Championship.
Hopefuls will tee it up Thursday at Fox Ridge in Auburn and July 3 at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono.
The Championship field will consist of 132 players including Ryan Gay, the 21-year-old defending champion who will be in search of his third straight title and fourth overall.
Former Amateur winners Ricky Jones, Ron Brown and Mark Plummer are also scheduled to play.
— Contact Mark Jeanneret at 282-1535, Ext. 323.
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