FALMOUTH — Ricky Jones won the Maine Amateur Championship in 2003 and 2004, and there is still hope for a victory in 2011.

But after shooting 1-over-par 71 in the second round Wednesday, Jones was seven strokes behind leader Ryan Gay.

“I played all right,” Jones said after exchanging handshakes with the players in his group at the end of the round. “My putts didn’t seem to be falling.”

In the first round on Tuesday, Jones shot a 74, which left him in a nine-way tie for 15th place.

Jones went into Wednesday’s round hoping for “lots of birdies and no bogeys.”

He birdied the first, 12th and 16th holes but bogeyed the third, eighth, 13th and 15th.

“I’m not getting the speed and line right on my putting,” he said.

“One time I’ll hit it too soft, the next time I’ll hit it too hard.”

After the second round, Jones was in seventh place at 5-over 145.

PLUMMER STRUGGLES: Mark Plummer, a 13-time Maine Amateur champion, said he was “terrible” and “awful” after he shot a 6-over 76 in the second round of the tournament. He was 4 over after the first round on Tuesday.

Plummer double-bogeyed the fifth hole, the same hole he birdied the day before.

“I’m just going to try to catch up the best I can,” Plummer said.

Plummer, who last won this tournament in 2002, was in a seven-way tie for 16th place. After Tuesday’s first round, he was in the same group as Jones, tied for 15th place.

After two birdies in the first round, Plummer failed to make one birdie in the second.

“My putting was off and I hit a couple of bad tee shots,” Plummer said. “I putted horrendously and probably threw away four or five shots on the greens.”

When asked what he would do differently for the next round, Plummer chuckled and said: “I’m going to try a new putter because I had no confidence in it.”

PAST WINNERS SURVIVE: Eric Crouse, who won the tournament in 1998, the same year Plummer was the runner-up, was tied for 10th place after shooting a 76 in the second round. He was at 8-over 148.

Ron Brown, the 1999 champion when Plummer again was the runner-up, also advanced to the final round.

Brown followed his first-round 77 with a 4-over 74 in the second round. He was in a four-way tie for 23rd.

Staff Writer Austin Pollack can be contacted at: 791-6356 or at:
apollack@pressherald.com