SACO — Burnout prompted Erin Holmes to step away from golf for more than a year. Then, in her first tournament back, she played like she never left.
While playing at Bucknell University from 2017-21, Holmes felt the mental drain of a schedule that consistently had her playing 54 holes over two days on a year-round basis. Some time away after graduating from college proved to be the jolt she needed, something the Greely High graduate showed in a decisive Maine Women’s Amateur win last year.
“I think my outlook on golf has really changed since graduating,” said Holmes, who shot 1 under to win the 2023 event at Brunswick Golf Club. “It was really crucial to remember that, and my mental game has improved a lot. It felt good to play really well and remember I’m doing it because I love the sport.”
Holmes, whose home course is Val Halla in Cumberland, will look to make it back-to-back titles starting Monday when the Maine Women’s Amateur gets underway at Biddeford-Saco Country Club.
Holmes made it look easy a year ago, shooting 3 under on Day 1 and 1 under on Day 2 to build an eight-stroke lead. Even a less-than-stellar third round was enough for her to hold off Bowdoin College student Shivani Schmulen of Plano, Texas.
With Schmulen not competing this year, the No. 2 returning scorer from last year is Leavitt Area High senior Jade Haylock of Turner Highlands Golf Course, who shot 6 over to finish third, one spot ahead of her older sister, Ruby. While Ruby Haylock, a junior at Bates College, previously has bested her younger sister, Jade’s growth has changed things.
“She’s definitely matured a lot over the past couple years,” Ruby said of Jade. “Physically, she’s so much stronger now; she can kill the ball off the tee. I don’t have the physical advantage over her anymore because she’s grown so much.”
Ruby said she didn’t play quite as well as she could have at Brunswick a year ago. This year, the two-time Maine Women’s Amateur champion (2020, 2022) hopes to give herself a better shot at challenging Holmes and her sister.
“I always want to do the best I can, and unfortunately I just didn’t perform to my best abilities last year,” Ruby said. “I have a lot of other factors in my life right now – I’m really focused on school and working – so I don’t get to spend as much time on the course, but I still have that competitive mindset.”
Holmes, Jade Haylock and Abby Flanagan (Springbrook Golf Course) will be the first group to tee off at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Ruby Haylock will compete in the following group at 7:40 and will be joined by Maria Cianchette (Woodlands Club) and Thea Davis (Hermon Meadow).
The 7:50 a.m. group features two top Maine high school golfers – Thornton Academy’s McKenna Castle (Biddeford-Saco) and Alexis McCormick (Martindale Country Club) of Oxford Hills. Greely graduate Ruth Weeks (Portland Country Club), teeing off at 8 a.m., beat Jade Haylock to win the Maine Junior women’s title last summer.
“There’s going to be some great competition,” Jade Haylock said. “It’s amazing we have this group where, all the women in Maine golf, we know each other’s story, and so many of them have said they’ve followed (Ruby and me). … I think seeing everybody is what I’m looking forward to most.”
The 2024 Maine Women’s Amateur will mark the second time Biddeford-Saco Country Club has hosted the event (2015). The tight course, Ruby Haylock said, forces golfers to hit the ball long while also challenging them to be efficient in their short game around the greens.
Holmes played the course frequently during her time at Greely High and has also competed there in several junior tournaments. The defending champ said that Biddeford-Saco, unlike Brunswick a year ago, will provide for a lot of shotmaking off the tee.
“Last year, you could kind of take a driver on a lot of the holes and just rip it out there,” Holmes said. “It’s going to be exciting; there’s a handful of good players that could all put up good numbers. It’s golf, so you never know, and I think it’s going to be a close one.”
