BELGRADE LAKES

Throughout Thursday’s final round of the Maine Amateur Golf Championship at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, South Freeport golfer Jack Wyman kept things simple — solid drive, safe approach, two putts … par.

The strategy worked out for the most part, as Wyman used 16 pars, a birdie and a safe tap-in bogey on the 18th hole to hold off Cole Anderson for a one-shot victory and his second consecutive Maine Amateur title.

Wyman, who won last year’s championship at Brunswick Golf Club, finished the 54-hole tournament at 6-under par 207, closing with an even par 71 on the hilly, picturesque 6,600- yard layout. He withstood the back-nine challenge from Anderson, along with a solid front-night run from John Hayes IV.

“The final day, the final night is really about trying to keep it together mentally, not really about hitting the ball anymore. It is about keeping your composure, and being in this position. Last year certainly helped me,” said Wyman.

The final group of Wyman, Anderson and Drew Powell teed off just after Hayes IV, who birdied the opening three holes to get to 6-under par to forge an early tie with Wyman, who kept making pars.

Hayes grabbed a onestroke lead on the par-5 sixth, but Wyman made his lone birdie moments later, also at the sixth, getting up and down from right of the green, putting the leaders at 7-under.

The seventh hole started a downward spiral for Hayes. He bogeyed the hole, then picked up consecutive bogeys at 10, 11, 12 and 13 to end his hopes.

“I didn’t know until 16. I asked my dad where John was and if this was more than a two-man match,” said Wyman.

The seventh hole hurt Anderson as well. He eagled the sixth to get within a stroke of Wyman, but a miscue on his approach on the seventh flew the hole, leaving him with a difficult chip to a downhill green.

“We didn’t think it was going to fly as far on seven. We thought it would jump a little. I was 163 from the hole and it flew 185. Then I messed up on the green,” said Anderson after a threeputt gave him a triple bogey and put him five shots behind Wyman.

Lead grows

Wyman, 27, made pars on seven, eight and nine for a 1- under 34 on the opening nine holes. And his lead had ballooned to five shots over Anderson and Powell, along with Topsham native Caleb Manuel. The soon-to-be Mt. Ararat High School junior opened with 11 pars, along with a birdie on six. A pair of bogeys coming in left Manuel at even-par 213 for the tournament, good for fifth place.

Anderson, who had slipped all the way back to 1- under for the tournament after a bogey on 10, found his rhythm the rest of the way in. His approach on 12 landed within two feet of the pin for a birdie, and he reeled off three straight birdies from 14-16 to close to within two shots of the lead.

Wyman showed frustration on 15. His approach stopped just five feet from the hole, but his putt slipped by, with the left-hander letting out a yell and slapping his knee.

“He made two or three in a row there, and I had opportunities that didn’t go in, and you start to feel that,” said Wyman.

Both players picked up pars on 16 and 17, with the duo heading to the final hole with Wyman still leading by two strokes.

Wyman winced when his drive began heading toward the trees, but a nice bounce set him up for an approach shot. He used the back ridge of the green, leaving him with a 24- foot, downhill putt for birdie, with Anderson facing a slippery, 12- foot downhiller of his own for birdie.

“ I needed a good tee shot on 18, and it wasn’t, but I lucked out, and once I made the green, I felt that I had it,” said Wyman, who coaxed his putt down the hill and eight feet past the hole.

Anderson hit a solid putt, looking to put the pressure back on Wyman with a birdie, but the ball went around the hole and stayed out, allowing Wyman to two- putt for the win.

“ If Cole makes that putt, that would have been phenomenal,” Wyman said. “ I had a downhill putt and I didn’t want to leave it short. I hit it a little bit harder than I wanted, but after he missed, it was a no brainer. I just tapped it up there for a tap- in bogey.”

Wyman admitted that he felt pressure on the back nine as Anderson made his charge.

“ If Cole beat me because I made a bunch of pars, that is just what happens,” said Wyman, who felt that he played conservat ively. “ When you’re in the lead, whether you like it or not, you’re put in the position to play conservative. That happened to me today. I wasn’ t quite aggressive enough, but I put myself into position, I just didn’ t make any putts.”

“ I was pleased with how I played on the back nine,” Anderson said. “I am disappointed with the outcome, and I wish that I could, but I know that I can’t, go back to seven. Hats off to Jack. Today’s pins were set up in tough places and he played a real solid round. He did what he needed to do.”

Powell saw his opportunities slip away early and finished with a final round 73 to end at 2- under par, good for a fourth place, while Hayes IV birdied 16 to end at 4- under par 209 and in third place.

Wyman will play in the New England Amateur Championship at his home course, Portland Country Club, beginning Tuesday. And Portland CC is the site of next year’s 100th Maine Amateur Championship, giving Wyman a solid chance of winning his third straight.