John Hayes IV survived back-to-back double bogeys on the front nine to shoot a Sunday-best two-over-par 72 at a rainy Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor and win the 10th annual Downeast Metro Golf Tournament by one shot.
Hayes of South Portland shot a one-over-par 72 at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course on Saturday to produce a two-day total of three-over-par 144. He won last year’s Downeast Metro and has now won three of the 10. He also won it in 2017.
There was a five-way tie for second involving Newburgh’s Chris Kauppila (71-74-145), Bar Harbor’s Jake Willis (71-74-145), Carmel’s Kent Johnson (70-75-145), Howland’s Wyatt Foster (72-73-145) and Cape Elizabeth’s Reese McFarlane, the 2020 winner.
Husson University of Bangor golfer Kauppila lost on the first playoff hole to Hayes a year ago.
There were 99 golfers in the A-B flight and 66 in the lower C-D flight.
It was Hayes’ second tourney victory in as many weekends as he shot a five-under-par 137 to win the Maine Mid-Amateur championship by three strokes at the Webhannet Golf Club in Kennebunk last weekend. The tourney is for Maine residents 25 years of age or older.
Two shots back at five-over par 146 were Mark Bethelemy (73-73) and Brady Wood (69-77); three shots back at 147 were Mike Doran (73-74) and Kent Johnson Jr. (70-77) and at 148 were Ralph Michaud (74-74), Lance Bernier (71-77), Jonathan Hugh Hardy (74-74) and Joe Ernst (70-78). Thomas Hanscom (74-75) and Ricky Jones (73-76) were at 149.
Following his double bogeys on the third and fourth holes, which followed a birdie on the second hole, Hayes played the final 14 holes in one under par with birdies on the par-four eighth hole and par-four 17th hole. He had a bogey-five at the 13th hole.
Willis also struggled on the front nine with a five-over par 39. He had three double bogeys and a bogey to go with two birdies and three pars. But he played the back nine in one under par with his only bogey coming on No. 17.
Foster, McFarlane and Kauppila had 37s on the front nine. Foster registered a 36 over the final nine holes, McFarlane recorded a 38 and Kauppila had a 37.
Johnson had a 35 on the front nine but struggled to a 40 on the back nine.
First day leader Benjamin Chapman wound up with a 10-over par 151 after following Saturday’s three-under par 68 with an 83 on Sunday.
Wood and Benjamin Walls were one shot back with two-under par 69s at Bangor Muni. Wood had his 77 on Sunday while Walls had an 83.
