CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Despite wet weather and a two-hour rain delay, John Hickson of Dick’s Sporting Goods in Topsham fired a 72 in final round of the State of Maine Championship today to walk away with top honors over runner-up Jeff Seavey of the Samoset Resort in Rockland.
The course was no match for Hickson who tied the standing course record with a blistering 67 in yesterday’s first round and never relinquished his lead today. Hickson was under par through 13 holes again today before a double-bogey on number 14 pushed him to one-over. A birdie on the sixteenth brought him back to even-par and a three-stroke lead that he would maintain though the finish.
Seavey, who began the day just one stroke behind Hickson, was no stranger to his position, having finished second to Hickson in 2012 after a devastating putt on the first playoff hole missed by inches.
Mike Doran and Matt Greenleaf tied for low amateur honors at 9 over par for the tournament.
Defending champion Shawn Warren of Nonesuch Golf Club in Scarborough jumped from 6th place after round one to find himself tied with David Grygiel of Tee N’Tee Golfland for the third spot, and Michael Dugas from Pittsfield snuck in with a second day score of 73 to round out the top five.
The State of Maine Championship is an annual 36-hole medal play tournament, which matches Maine’s top professional and amateur golfers in junior, senior, and 18-50 year-old categories. To compete in the tournament, professionals must be a member of the Maine Chapter of the New England PGA, while all Maine residents are eligible to compete in the amateur category.
The Sugarloaf Golf Club has hosted this event for the last 12 years consecutively, and more than 20 times since the course was constructed in 1985.
View live tournament scoring throughout the 2014 State of Maine Championship here.
