Brian Henderson poses on the putting green Monday at Springbrook Golf Club in Leeds. Henderson will be competing in the Maine Amateur Championship this week at the Samoset Resort Golf Course in Rockport. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Brian Henderson’s game plan to qualify for the 2023 Maine Amateur Championship was simple. All he had to do was execute.

However, execution in golf can be tricky, as evidenced in Henderson’s round at the Bangor Municipal Golf Couse qualifier on June 20. He shot a 3-over 38 through the opening nine holes, including two bogeys, a double-bogey, a birdie and five pars.

Henderson, who is a member at Springbrook Golf Club in Leeds, regrouped on the back nine, going low with a 4-under 32 to finish 1-under 70 and earn medalist honors. He also qualified for his third Maine Amateur, which runs Tuesday through Thursday at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

“The biggest thing was when I went into it, and it’s kind of cliché, but I was going shot-by-shot and playing each hole in (as few) strokes as I can,” Henderson said. “I went to the next hole, played the hole, and when you add them all up, that’s where I ended up.”

The hole Henderson said he will remember the most isn’t one that he made birdie on, but a par at the turn.

“It was very hard because I was 3-over par going into the second nine, but I made a great par-saving putt on (hole) nine,” Henderson said. “I knew once I got to the back, there were some opportunities for some birdies. Sure enough, I did.”

Henderson, 50, opened the back nine with birdies on three of the first four holes to get back to even par. He said the setup of those holes led to the birdies.

“They were difficult holes, and I was able to put myself in a position where I wasn’t in too much trouble,” Henderson said. “I didn’t necessarily hit greens, but I did get up and down for par or birdie. I did really well.”

Getting back to par settled his nerves a bit, but then he had to fight the urge to look ahead.

“The thoughts of wanting to qualify and playing at the Samoset were going through my head,” Henderson said. “I had to go, ‘One shot at a time, one hole at a time.'”

His fourth and final birdie on the back nine came on the par-5 18th hole. Due to his morning tee time, it would be a while before Henderson knew how important that birdie was. He ended up winning the qualifier by one stroke over Max Woodman of Barnes Brook Golf Course.

Henderson didn’t wait around for a potential playoff to crown the low medalist. He had to get back to Springbrook that evening.

“Once I finished my round, I had to be here (at Springbrook) because I had Tuesday night league here,” Henderson said. “If I shoot 1-under and I don’t make the cut or make the playoff, it was like, whatever. I thought I was pretty much in the clear there, and I headed south. I just kept looking at the website and kept in touch. I was like, ‘Wow, I ended up winning the thing.’ I was kind of surprised.”

Brian Henderson practices chipping on the putting green Monday at Springbook Golf Club in Leeds.  Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

SECOND HOME

Bangor Municipal has been a second home course for Henderson since he began trying to qualify for the Maine Amateur in 2018. The two other times he qualified, in 2020 and 2021, also came there.

Henderson said Bangor Municipal and Springbrook are similar courses.

“It’s one of those (courses) where you don’t have to be overly long, just mostly accurate,” Henderson said. “The greens and everything are set up like here (at Springbrook). I am just kind of comfortable with it, and I played it well.”

Henderson, who lives in Mount Vernon, almost signed up for the Augusta Country Club qualifier but decided against it.

“Augusta caught my mind, ‘Oh, that’s close by,’ but I am going to stick with my guns and play what I know,'” Henderson said.

SEEKING A CHALLENGE

Henderson, a 1991 Hall-Dale graduate, didn’t start playing golf until 2000, and he has come a long way in 23 years. He said that when he began playing, his handicap was 26. Last year he got it down to a 3.1 — though it has climbed up a bit this year to 5.

“I met my wife (Amy), and she got me into golf,” Henderson said. “We started, and I am kind of one of those guys that takes the thing and runs with it. I just got into it, and I really like it out here at Springbrook, the members, it’s like family, and it’s fun to play.”

When he began playing in Maine Golf — formerly the Maine State Golf Association — events in 2018, he wanted to find a new challenge in the game.

“I felt I had the talent and the skill enough to do it, and I like going to these (tournaments) to challenge my game,” Henderson said. “A lot of people can play well at their home course, but they go somewhere else, it’s kind of different. I have a mobile game that can go anywhere and challenge myself, getting all the butterflies and the pressure.”

Henderson said that he knows he won’t be able to hit the ball as far as the golfers in the Maine Am who are in their 20s and 30s, so his short game needs to be sharp.

“I know I am not as long as them; they can hit it a mile,” Henderson said. “I have enough trust in my game, my irons, I can hit it close, and I have a short game; I practice a lot on my chipping and putting. I think I can make up the distance with what I do around the green.”

Henderson is still looking to make his first cut at the Maine Amateur. He played Samoset a few weeks ago. That round was in the rain, but he said it was good to get a feel of the course before the tournament.

He has played at Samoset in a competitive setting in the fall, but he wanted to play it in the summer.

“When I first saw it on the schedule, I said, ‘I want to play Samoset,'” Henderson said. “I usually play it in MSGA (events) in November. I would have tried to qualify if it was somewhere else, but I want to play Samoset, and I had that little motivation behind me saying, ‘I really want to play Samoset in July, two rounds at least, a third if I am good enough.’ That played a good factor in qualifying this year.”