CONCORD — The sentimental favorite to win the New Hampshire Golf Association's 109th State Amateur Championship topped the leaderboard with the two-day, stroke-play round complete.

Nine-time champion and 62-year-old Bob Mielcarz, competing on his home course at Concord Country Club, carded a 1-over-par 71 Tuesday and clinched medalist honors. He opened the tournament with a 2-under 68, and finished stroke play as the only even-par golfer.

“I thought I played better (Monday) ... Today was kind of messy,” said Mielcarz, who entered Day 2 a stroke off the pace set by talented teenagers Griffin Brown (The Overlook), Michael Martel (Crotched Mountain) and Matthew Killam (Newport).

Yet 18-year-old Joe Leavitt (Atkinson) and Bob Landry (Loudon) were Mielcarz's closest competition (141). Leavitt shot a 72-69 to capture the Ty Abate Award as the low scorer among golfers age 19 or younger.

Eight golfers finished with a two-day 154. Six of them participated in the Grand March to determine the final entrants for match play, which begins today at 8 a.m. Mark Douglas (Concord) and George Craft (Hanover) parred the first hole of the playoff to earn the 63rd and 64th berths, respectively.

“I've never played competitive golf before in my life,” said Craft, 29, who draws Mielcarz in the Round of 64 at 8. “I don't know the history (involving Mielcarz). But everybody says he's the man. Hopefully, I'll give him a run for his money.”

► Click here for complete medal play results from the State Am.
► Click here for Wednesday's State Am match play pairings.

Mielcarz signed his card at 12:20 p.m., answered a few questions and said his seeding for match-play didn't matter much.

“Forget about being medalist. You're not even thinking that. You just want to post a good score on Monday, so you don't have any pressure on Tuesday,” said Mielcarz, a Concord Country Club member since 1974.

Despite missing two short birdie putts early, Mielcarz was 1-under through eight holes.

“Then I just kind of lost my timing out there a little bit. Swing broke down and I made bogeys on (holes) 9, 10 and 13,” he said. “I didn't play that stretch of holes too well and had to scramble coming in.”

Several golfers said there's no longer a need to play cautiously. It's time to go for it.

“These first two days you're just trying to get in,” defending champion Jim Cilley said after shooting 72-71—143 on the 6,444-yard course. “Get in to match play and you can kind of get a little more aggressive.”

Grouped with Mielcarz, Cilley also described an up-and-down back nine. He birded holes 10 and 12 to reach even-par, but posted a double-bogey on 13 after a lengthy wait to tee off.

The hiccup was offset by birdies on the final two holes.

Golfers who opened the tourney with early tee times had the afternoon shift on Day 2. Similar to Monday, the second wave of championship hopefuls, at times, contended with wind.

“It blew a little bit harder than this (Monday),” said Green Meadow Golf Club's Steve Lane. “But they're going to fight the same elements we did. It makes it fair for everybody.”

Gusts combined with ball-striking struggles contributed to Lane's first-round 4-over 74.

He shaved two strokes off his Day 1 score. Consistently hitting the fairway off the tee and finding the green with approach shots — without wind to fight — helped his cause.

But the wind subsided quickly, according to Brown, 18, one of the three teens who entered Tuesday tied with a 2-under 68.

Brown and Martel each shot a 76 on their follow-up rounds for a two-day 144. Matthew Killam finished 68-77—145.

Brown said “stupid mistakes” cost him. He said low blood sugar interrupted his concentration on the fifth hole. His practice swing for a 1-inch putt hit the ball. It rolled half an inch, resulting in a four-putt double-bogey.

“I just wanted to make the cut,” Brown said. “When I was 5-over on the front … I was just trying to get my mind on track.”

Chris Houston (Laconia) notched a 72 for the second straight day. Finishing stroke-play four shots off the pace was fine by him.

“The whole goal the first two days is to put yourself in position,” Houston said after closing with back-to-back birdies. “Match play is crazy.”

- - - - - - - -

Marc Thaler may be reached at mthaler@unionleader.com.