CUMBERLAND — Tom Higgins tried talking to himself, the ball, his putter, the green, or all of the above.

“All right, pull a Lucas, pull a Lucas,” Higgins said to himself, the ball, his putter, the green, or all of the above.

But that would have required wizardry that apparently only Lucas Roop possessed Wednesday at Val Halla Golf Course. Higgins’ long putt missed the hole, and Roop claimed the boys’ 16-18 Maine Junior Amateur Championship on the third playoff hole.

Higgins’ pleas were a reference to the putt that Roop, of Gorham, made on the first playoff hole.

Higgins, of South Portland, tapped in his par putt on Val Halla’s first hole, and Roop’s ball sat on the fringe, about 15 feet downhill from the hole.

“I thought I had it,” Higgins said. “That was a huge putt. I didn’t think it was going in.”

Even Roop thought the 15-year-old Higgins was going to be the champion. But Roop rolled the ball uphill and into the hole.

“I really did not think I had a chance to make that because I could’t really make anything outside of 8 feet all day,” Roop said. “I guess I made it when it counted. That was one of the hardest greens, too, to make putts on.”

Higgins’ drive on the second playoff hole (No. 2) landed on a cart path, but he managed to earn par and force a third playoff hole, which went back to Val Halla’s first hole.

Higgins’ drive went out of bounds, costing him a stroke. His next shot put him near the green, but the fate of the Maine Junior Amateur Championship was in Roop’s hands. He reached the green in two and then two-putted to win the hole and the tournament.

“He made a six, so I just had a little three-footer for four. So I was just like, all right, don’t lip this one out, you know? Just finish it off,” Roop said.

“It was great. I just immediately thought of that huge 15-footer (on the first playoff hole). If I didn’t make that … that was the tournament right there.”

Steady play carried Roop throughout the second day.

“That was a grind. Our whole group, the rest of the field, that was just a grind of a day,” Roop said. “I didn’t make any big numbers, I just kept it to bogeys. Yeah, it was a grind.”

He entered one stroke ahead of Higgins and two strokes up on 16-year-old Conner Paine of China.

Higgins and Roop were even through the front nine, but Higgins fell two strokes back by No. 13 while Paine made up the three strokes Roop had on him at the turn and was in a tie for the lead.

Roop and Paine shared the lead after 15. Higgins, meanwhile, was two strokes back with three holes to play.

Higgins made par on the 16th, while Roop settled for bogey and Paine took a double bogey.

All three parred No. 17, sending them to the par-5 18th with Roop up by one over Higgins and Paine.

Higgins set himself up nicely off the tee with a drive that went more than 300 yards.

“That was bomb,” Higgins said.

His next shot went past the green, but not far enough that it prevented him from getting a birdie to force a playoff — Roop had a par on the hole, while Paine took a bogey.

After shooting 74 on the first day, Roop shot 81 Wednesday to finish at 155 after 36 holes. Higgins followed up his first-round 75 with an 80 in the second round.

Paine finished third in the tournament at 158. Cape Elizabeth’s Austin Legge, the 2015 champion, tied for fourth with Lincoln’s Max Woodman.

Lewiston’s Alex Robert — who singled out Roop as one of the tournament’s favorites to the Sun Journal during an interview earlier this week — had the best tournament of tri-county players in the boys’ 16-18 division, finishing tied for 23rd with a two-day score of 177.

Monmouth’s Trevor Flanagan tied for 26th (180), Lisbon’s Adam White was 31st (187), Auburn’s Iain Frumiento tied for 32nd (188) and Lewiston’s Aaron Perkins took 34th with a 190.

Younger divisions

Scarborough’s Teddy Forsley won the boys’ 13-15 championship by six strokes over Henry Ryder of New York.

Forsley followed up his 80 on Tuesday with a round of 77 Wednesday.

Auburn’s Harrison Gray placed 16th with a 245.

Yarmouth’s Sebastien Martinez, 10 years old, won the co-ed 12 and under division by shooting 40 for the second consecutive day.

Pittsfield’s Owen Moore matched Martinez’s 40, but finished three strokes back (83) overall for second place. Kennebunk’s Cole Binette also fired a 40 Wednesday to finish at 86.

Hartford’s Jade Haylock rebounded from Tuesday’s 57 to shoot 47 Wednesday. She finished sixth overall at 104.

Connor Paine tees off at the first hole of the 2017 Maine Junior Amateur Championships on Wednesday at Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland.

Thomas Higgins tees off at the first hole of the 2017 Maine Junior Amateur Championships on Wednesday at Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland. Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.