For Steve Jordan of Minot, the road back to respectable golf is a long one.
Six years ago, Jordan, 61, suffered a stroke which he said has given him a left leg which “half works,” and a left arm which “doesn’t work at all.” Through extensive physical therapy, he is able to play golf approximately once a week, but as evidenced by his 104-113–217 in the Maine State Golf Association B&C Championship July 14-15, he has a long way to go to return to the handicap index of 3-4 that he once enjoyed as a Martindale member.
Jordan is being told that his golf game may never come back, but there are some important people in his life who feel differently about that.
“I think that in a few years I can get it working,” he said.
And of course his wife Diane is his greatest supporter of that theory. But there is another person who may be the key to his recovery and future.
Mary Wilkins, who has a rehabilitation business in Auburn which focuses on special needs children, works with Jordan constantly and even accompanies him on the golf course.
“I’m her big kid,” Jordan said with a smile. “She is in total control of all of my rehab. Diane located Mary for me and they are the two most special people in my life.”
Having played primarily out of Martindale, Jordan is golfing at Pine Acres these days because the terrain there is more friendly to his left-side paralysis. He remains determined to regain his full swing, but admits that he might also have to become a one-handed golfer.
Before the stroke, Jordan was vice president of manufacturing at Elmet Technologies in Lewiston, and when he was not working, golf was an integral part of his life. Although he never won the club championship at Martindale (was a runner-up), he was one of its better players, winning what he said were a few minor tournaments. He is from an active golf family. His late father, Robert Jordan, was Martindale club champion. His son, Curtis Jordan, was 13th in the recent Maine Amateur and is a member of the Maine Tri-State team and serves as a director on the MSGA Board. His brother, Tim Jordan, is a 3-4 handicapper. Diane Jordan has a 28 index, “and she is proud of it,” he said.
Because getting Jordan back into golf is a project, he said he has needed help beyond his wife and physical therapist.
“I would like to thank MSGA executive director Nancy Storey, her husband Charlie Sparrow and Bob Foster for helping me through the B&C Championship,” he said. “I am very grateful to them.”
Not only is Jordan talking about regaining his golf proficiency and skills, he is hoping to get back into golf as a volunteer for the MSGA and First Tee of Maine. Those are worthy goals for a worthy man.
Rise and shine
Several area players participated in the Maine State Golf Association Junior Tour event at Natanis July 16.
In the boys’ 15-17 division, Justin Keaney of Auburn finished 15th with an 84, AJ Parisi of Auburn carded an 87 for 22nd place, Nicholas Gammaitoni of Auburn recorded an 88 for 24th, and Adam White of Lisbon had a 94 for 31st. Evan Glicos of Windham, a member at Martindale, posted an 87 in the boys’ 13-14 division for third place, while Aaron Perkins of Auburn had a 103 for 11th, Iain Frumiento of Auburn’s 104 placed him 12th and Demetri Frumiento of Auburn completed his round with 112 for 14th.
In the girls’ 15-17 division, Janelle Bryant of Gray shot 87 for third place. In the girls’ 13-14 bracket Markella Gammaitoni of Auburn was second with a 103, and in the girls’ 12 & under nine-hole competition, Mia Hornberger of North Turner was first with a 57.
In the Junior Tour event July 20 at Brunswick, AJ Parisi of Auburn shot an 82 for sixth place in the boys’ 15-17 bracket, Adam White of Lisbon was 21st with a 92 and Nicholas Gammaitoni of Auburn carded a 95 for 24th place. In the boys’ 13-14 division, Evan Glicos of Windham, a Martindale member, recorded an 86 for third place and Iain Frumiento of Auburn had a 94 for sixth place. Janelle Bryant of Auburn’s 98 in the girls’ 15-17 competition left her in third place, while Markella Gammaitoni of Auburn was first in the girls’ 13-14 division with a 96.
The Junior Tour continued July 22 at ValHalla, where AJ Parisi of Auburn came in with an 86 for a 12th-place tie and Nicholas Gammaitoni of Auburn shot an 87 in boys’ 15-17 for a 16th-place tie. In boys’ 13-14 Evan Glicos of Windham, a Martindale member, recorded an 85 for second place, as Iain Frumiento of Auburn scored 106 for 22nd place, Aaron Perkins of Auburn carded a 109 for 23rd dplace and Demetri Gammaitoni of Auburn shot 110 for 24th place. In the girls’ 15-17 competition, Stephanie Rodrigue of Lewiston shot 81 for third place. In girls’ 13-14, Markella Gammaitoni of Auburn came home with a 97 for second place. In the 12 and under nine-hole competition, Colin Merritt of Auburn shot a 47 for second place.
The Maine State Golf Association completes its July tournament competition this week with the Charlies State Open at Augusta tomorrow and Tuesday. The Junior Tour continues with events Wednesday at Dutch Elm and Thursday at Clinton. The regular Weekend Tournament schedule calls for tournaments Friday and Saturday at Bath.
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