OAKLAND, Maine – Loyola University Maryland sophomore-to-be Eli Spaulding won the Maine Amateur Golf Championship for the second-straight year on Thursday, earning a spot in the U.S. Amateur for the second time, as well.
 
Spaulding shot a 2-under 68 in Thursday's final round to win the tournament by four strokes over Ron Kelton at Waterville Country Club.
 
He will compete in the 125^th U.S. Amateur next month in San Francisco at The Olympic Club.
 
Spaulding was the only player in the Maine Amateur to shoot three under-par rounds in the tournament, finishing with a pair of 1-under 69s in the first two rounds before his final-round 68.
 
His back nine on Wednesday propelled him up the leaderboard and into prime contention for the title. He started his second round on the 10^th hole and was 2-over through 11 holes Wednesday for a 1-over overall score.
 
He eagled the par-5 third hole, however, and despite a bogey on the fourth, he birdied the seventh hole and then eagled the par-5 ninth to finish his round at 1-under.
 
On Thursday, Spaulding birdied the third, sixth and 14^th holes to build a sizable lead for the stretch of the tournament.
 
He completed his first collegiate season as the top-ranked freshman in the Patriot League. He took second in his first tournament for the Greyhounds–the Howard/USF Intercollegiate–and he had two more top-20 finishes during the regular-season, taking 17^th at The Goat and 19^th at the Loyola Intercollegiate.
 
Spaulding then tied for 10^th at the Patriot League Championships, helping the Greyhounds win the team title. He then tied for 35^th at the NCAA Auburn Regional to close the season.