CARRABASSETT VALLEY — Caleb Manuel shrugged off a weather delay and stayed under par in the first round of the AJGA Coca-Cola Championship on Tuesday at Sugarloaf Golf Club.
Manuel, of Topsham, sits at 2-under 70 and holds a one-shot lead over a pair of Texans, Stephen Campbell Jr. and Blake Benson. Quebec native William Forgues is alone in fourth at even-par 72.
Scarborough’s Anthony Burnham is in a four-way tie for fifth place at 1-over. Defending champ Cole Anderson, of Camden, is in a tie for 13th at 3-over.
Manuel finished strong after taking the turn at even par and bogeying his 10th hole. He birdied three of his final seven holes — including back-to-back on his 15th and 16th holes — to take the lead.
Burnham and Anderson both started out strong, each with two birdies in their first four holes, but shaky second nines soured their respective opening rounds of the three-day tournament. Anderson had a stretch of three bogeys and a double bogey before birdieing two of his final three holes.
In the girls’ competition, Ontario native Haley Yerxa holds a one-shot lead at 3-under. Kristine Tran, of California, is one shot back.
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