Michaud takes Cary golf title
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
CARIBOU — Despite the extra warm temperatures, Ralph Michaud of Presque Isle and Emily Jose of Caribou were both on their game over the weekend in picking up overall titles at the 30th annual Cary Classic Benefit Golf Tournament.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
RALPH MICHAUD of Presque Isle rolls in this putt during his round on Sunday at the Cary Classic Benefit Golf Tournament in Caribou. Michaud took the title with a score of 149, three strokes better than runner-up Steve Clark. 
Michaud had a busy week as he also competed in and placed among the top 20 at the Maine Amateur held at Augusta Country Club in Manchester July 9-11.
Michaud, who had placed in a tie for 20th at the Maine Amateur held earlier in the week, shot a 149 to win by three strokes over runner-up Steve Clark of Caribou.
Michaud shot a 72 Saturday and held a one-shot lead over Clark. Mark Barthelemy Jr. and two-time defending champion Randy Hebert, both Caribou natives now living out of the area, were also in the leaders group heading into play on Sunday, behind by three and four strokes, respectively.
“I just wanted to make pars,” Michaud said of his Sunday strategy. “My thought was that if they want to beat me, they’d have to shoot better than par.”
Michaud had stretched the lead over the first few holes, but Clark battled back and was within one after 11 before Michaud again took charge. He ended up with a 77 for his final round.
Michaud had won the Cary tourney in 2010 and lost in a playoff to Hebert the following year, making this year’s victory even more satisfying. Michaud ended up four strokes better than Phil Pelletier of Presque Isle and seven better than Hebert.
Michaud was coming off the impressive finish in the Maine Amateur, held at Augusta Country Club in Manchester July 9-11. Two days after the completion of that event, he was back at it at Caribou Country Club.
“I was still in competition mode, so I think coming off the Maine Amateur actually helped me,” Michaud said. “I had to play several rounds in a row that meant something.”
Jose made it three consecutive Cary Classic wins by carding a 168 and defeating Vi Kemp by three strokes in the women’s division.
The weather has been a factor in keeping Jose off the course for a majority of the summer. She said she has averaged nine holes a week so far, but her play was good enough to capture another trophy.
“This is the course I grew up on, so it feels nice,” said Jose, a 2000 CHS graduate. “If I wasn’t playing here when I was younger, I was watching or just hanging around.”
She said steady play with long irons made the difference over the weekend. “It definitely wasn’t my chipping and putting that did it,” she said with a laugh.
Jose held a seven-stroke lead with seven holes to play, but was seven-over-par down the stretch to allow Kemp, a past champion, to creep closer.
“I kind of let my guard down a bit,” Jose said, “plus Vi played very well.”
Judy Dombroski of Caribou shot a solid round of 84 on Saturday and found herself just a stroke behind Jose heading into the second day of the event.
The winner of the longest drive for the men was Tim Gagnon and for the women it was Dorina Martin. The winner of the closest to the pin for the men was Carl Flynn and for the women it was Stephanie Flagg.
The top four in each of the divisions of play were as follows:
Men’s Div. I Gross: first, Michaud; second, Clark; third, Phil Pelletier, 153; and fourth, Randy Hebert, 156.
Men’s Div. I Net: first, Eric Anderson, 140; second, Mark Barthelemy, 142; third, Mark Barthelemy Jr., 143; and fourth, Brent Hatchard, 144.
Men’s Div. II Gross: first, Flynn, 160; second, Michael Boone, 168; third, Mike Gagnon, 170; and fourth, Harold Tardy, 173.
Men’s Div. II Net: first: Norm Collins, 142; second, Brian Forbes, 143; third, Eric Brown, 149; and fourth, Mark Desmond, 150.
Men’s Div. III Gross: first, Mike Green, 171; second, Rick Hallowell, 174; third, Patrick Thompson, 176; and fourth, Dave Wilcox, 178.
Men’s Div. III Net: first, Lou Lorenzo, 133; second, Hobie Kemp, 142; third, Roger Anderson, 144; and fourth, Mike Beaulieu, 144.
Men’s Div. IV Gross: first, Graden Ouellette, 180; second, Mike Fitzgerald, 192; third, Matt Bouchard, 195; and fourth, Peter Coffey, 200.
Men’s Div. IV Net: first, Keith Ireland, 146; second, Rick Theriault, 147; third, Tyler Dombroski, 148; and fourth, Bill Flagg, 152.
Ladies Div. I Gross: first, Jose; second, Kemp, 171; third; Lupita Albert, 176; and fourth, Bern Michaud, 180.
Ladies Div. I Net: first, Martin, 132; second, Dombroski, 140; third, Jessie Thompson, 142; and fourth, Ursula Johnston, 156.
Ladies Div. II Gross: first, Janice Beaulieu, 190; second, Kris Doody, 217; third, Marlene Chasse, 233; and fourth, Stephanie Flagg, 261
Ladies Div. II Net: first, MaryLee Anderson, 152; second, Dottie Fitzgerald, 154; and third, Rachel Damboise, 172.
The tournament is sponsored by the Jefferson Cary Foundation. Drenched in sunshine for the entire weekend, 70 golfers competed for more than $8,000 in prizes. The tournament serves as one of the largest annual fund-raising events for the Jefferson Cary Foundation, with proceeds this year going toward the new Women’s Imaging Center at Cary Medical Center.
