Veazie’s Staci Creech will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Maine Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament on Wednesday at the Biddeford-Saco Country Club in Saco.
The 42-year-old Creech, a former University of North Carolina standout who plays out of the Bangor Municipal Golf Course, followed up her first-round 75 with a 77 on Tuesday to give her an eight-over-par 152.
She is the assistant women’s golf coach at Husson University in Bangor and finished tied for third in the New England Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament in Massachusetts earlier this summer.
Emily Bouchard of Saco, who plays out of the host course, shot a 76 on Tuesday to accompany her 78 on Monday and pull within two shots of Creech.
Bouchard won the first two Maine Women’s Amateur championships in 2012 and 2013 before Norway’s Leslie Guenther won it last year.
Guenther is at 160 as she shot an 82 on Tuesday after posting a 78 on Monday.
This is the fourth year of the tournament after the Women’s Maine State Golf Association and the Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association decided to combine their top tournaments into one 54-hole event beginning in 2012.
Maine Golf Hall of Famer Laurie Hyndman of Cumberland Foreside and the Woodlands Club in Falmouth is six shots behind Creech at 158 and 15-year-old Bailey Plourde of Newcastle is fourth at 159. Plourde plays out of the Samoset Golf Course in Rockport.
Prudence Hornberger of Turner Highlands joins Guenther at 160, Melissa Johnson of the Martindale Country Club in Auburn is at 161 and Kelsie Dessent of the Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro is at 162.
There are five golfers at 164 including Ruth Colucci of Biddeford-Saco, Monica Austin of the Woodlands, Micki Meggison of Sable Oaks in South Portland and the Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland’s Sarah Hansen and Erin Holmes.