Playing in the final threesome, the professional from Glen Allen, Virginia, birdied the par-4 16th hole to break a tie at 6-under with two players who had already finished their rounds. Brown then narrowly avoided trouble on the 18th to hold on for a one-shot victory to win the Charlie’s Maine Open at Augusta Country Club on Tuesday.

Brown shot a 3-under 67 in the second and final round to card a winning score of 7-under 133.

“It was nice to birdie 16, with that back pin. Both guys in my group ended up bogeying it,” Brown said. “It’s one of those, you got to hit a good shot or you get a little off and it’s a tough one. That was good to make it to get back to even on the back nine.

“I had no idea where I stood until I got to the scorer’s table. I never asked or knew, so I really didn’t know.”

With an 8-foot, uphill birdie putt on the 16th, Brown broke out of a tie with Nicholas Pandelena and Jon McLean. Both those players shot 4-under 66s on Tuesday while playing in the same threesome, 50 minutes ahead of Brown, to tie for second.

“I’m not going to change my game. I might if I knew, but there’s no point,” Brown said. “Out here I’m trying to birdie every hole, really. With the clubs that you have in your hand, and the greens running well, you’re going to make some putts.”

Brown did just that on his first two holes, birdieing both the par-4 first and par-3 second. Then he bogeyed the par-4 third and tossed his ball into the woods after sinking his bogey putt.

“I don’t ever play a ball I make a bogey with. That’s just the way I’ve played,” Brown said. “Just on to the next one. There’s no need for it. It’s gone.”

The Canadian-born player then rebounded with a birdie on the par-4 fourth, then another on the par-4 sixth to take a one-shot lead over groupmate Josh Eure and Spencer Mellon, who was in the group ahead.

Brown was solid, if unspectacular on the back nine. He parred each of the first three holes before bogeying the par-4 13th. A missed birdie putt on the par-3 15th then set up Brown for the successful birdie attempt on the 16th.

With no knowledge of his one-shot lead going into the 18th, Brown hit his tee shot to the left of the fairway through a tree. His second shot hit another tree and fell down in the rough, still to the left. But showing championship form, the former Web.com Tour player hit his third shot onto the green, and his first putt got to within a foot of the hole, making for an easy tap-in for victory.

“It’s always good (to win),” Brown said.

It’s doubly good considering the new champion hadn’t played much this season before finishing tied for 10th at the Greater Bangor Open this past weekend. Brown took some time off from golf after losing his spot on the Web.com Tour this year.

“Played my way off that nicely,” Brown said of the Tour. “Just didn’t have the sponsorship. I put the clubs away for four months. Literally didn’t touch them for a while.”

He was in better spirits after ending his drought. And this time he made his experience playing in the final group at the Maine Open a positive one, after finishing tied for fifth in his only previous appearance back in 2013.

Brown’s groupmates, Eure and Jason Thresher, finished tied for seventh and tied for 22nd, respectively. Eure struggled on the back nine, playing it 3-over until a birdie on the 18th to finish even for the day and 4-under for the tournament. Thresher played the front nine even, then double-bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the 16th to shoot 3-over for the day and 1-under for the two-day Open.

Mellon finished tied for fourth at 5-under for the tournament with Evan Harmeling and Colin Brennan.

Eure was joined at 4-under with Christopher DeForest and Jack Wyman.

Wyman, from South Freeport, was both the highest-finishing Maine native, as well as the low amateur. For the latter achievement, he received a trophy of his own.

“I played pretty well. I battled the putter a little bit, but I birdied my last three holes,” Wyman said. “So it was pretty exciting for me, and it all kind of came together for me at the end.”

It was the second time Wyman was the low amateur at the Maine Open, after accomplishing the feat first in 2012 at Augusta.

“Kind of been in a little drought since,” Wyman said. “So it feels good to add another crystal to the trophy case.”

Shawn Warren, from Cape Elizabeth, was the top Maine professional after finishing 2-under and tied for 15th. Warren, the 2004 Maine Open champion back when he was still and amateur, was 1-over for the day on Tuesday.

Defending champion Matt Campbell shot 1-under on Tuesday to finish tied for 10th at 3-under for the tournament.

wkramlich@sunjournal.com