By Dalton Balthaser 

 

LINCOLN, R.I. – Brendan Fay said Monday after being the stroke-play medalist and No. 1 seed, he didn’t think he had a shot to win the 98th Rhode Island Junior Amateur Championship.

 

He talked himself right into it.

 

Fay, backed by consistent ball striking, claimed the Boys’ division of the RIGA Junior Amateur after defeating No. 7 seed Harry Dessel of Rhode Island Country Club, 3&1, in the Final at Kirkbrae Country Club (par 71, 6,317 yards) Thursday.

 

Fay, of Metacomet Golf Club, defeated Henry Horgan of Newport, R.I., 3&2, in the morning semifinal match.

 

“I am still surprised I won this,” said Fay, 18, of Barrington, R.I. “My game wasn’t solid coming into this week. I hit thousands of golf balls in the last few weeks. Once I started playing well, I knew I had a good shot to win.”

 

After he and Dessel were deadlocked on the front nine, Fay took the advantage on No. 11 (par 4, 395 yards) after Dessel three-putted from the back of the green.

 

“I didn’t hit enough greens to keep up,” said Dessel, 16, of Barrington, R.I. and an incoming sophomore at Moses Brown School. “The rest of my game was spot on and I did everything else well but I couldn’t hit the ball on the green.”

 

Once he got the advantage, Fay’s game plan started to come to fruition.

 

“I kind of had a road map in my head of how I wanted the match to go,” said Fay. “I figured if I was 1-up heading into No. 16 (par 4, 306 yards), I thought I would win the match because I have birdied that hole a lot this week. I knew Harry couldn’t reach the green with his driver. So I felt comfortable.”

 

He knew what he was talking about.

 

Fay hit a drive on No. 16 25 yards short of the green and hit a tidy pitch from below the surface of the green to eight feet. He would convert to put Dessel dormie with two holes to play.

 

It was the first time all week a match of Fay’s went to No. 17 (par 3, 191 yards) but he wasn’t fazed. He had played the hole after each of his previous matches had concluded for practice.

 

He hit a 5-iron to 15 feet and was conceded a par after Dessel couldn’t save his.

 

“I have been in a big rebuilding stage for my golf swing,” said Fay, who will be running track at the College of Holy Cross in the fall. “I have been working on it all year. Coming in here without a perfect swing, I felt like I hit a lot of good shots. I was confident and you can’t ask for anything more.”

 

As a result of this victory, Fay will be a member of Rhode Island’s New England Junior Invitational team for the third time. Dessel will also be on that team.

 

Fay’s victory continues a good amount of success for Metacomet members this season in RIGA events. Jamie Lukowicz won the John Burke Memorial (Gross), Eric Marchetti won the RIGA Four-Ball, Bruce Heterick and Dean Parziale won the Senior Four-Ball (Gross) and now Fay adds his name to that list of Metacomet winners this season.

 

“Metacomet has been crucial to my development as a player,” said Fay. “Everyone has been there for me and helped me improve. I can’t thank them enough.”

 

Fay’s smile was endless when he received the RIGA Champion golf bag, a prize given out to only a select group of RIGA winners throughout the season.

 

“It feels pretty cool to be the Rhode Island Junior Champion,” said Fay. “I finally got the RIGA Champion golf bag. I have been looking at them for years. I can’t wait to put my clubs in it.”

 

Girls’ Division

 

Gianna Papa had a tall task in front of her to win the RIGA Junior Girls’ Amateur.

 

She had to beat her sister Vinny.

 

No. 2 seed Gianna, led by a 2 under back nine, outlasted Vinny, 3&2, to claim the Junior Girls’ Amateur at Kirkbrae (par 71, 5,326 yards).

 

She defeated No. 6 seed Ava Santamaria of Alpine Country Club, 2-up, in the morning semifinal match.

 

Vinny and Gianna, from Foster, R.I. and Connecticut National Golf Club, embraced as only close family could after realizing they would be playing each other in the Final.

 

“Once Vinny ran onto the green after I won my morning match, I was excited to know we were playing each other in the Final,” said Gianna Papa, an incoming seventh-grader at Ponaganset Middle School. I knew it was going to be a tough and long match because we know each other’s games.

 

Gianna put her foot on the gas on the back nine. She birdied No. 10 (par 4, 274 yards) after hitting an 8-iron from 120 yards to 20 feet. She closed the door with an unlikely birdie on No. 15 (par 3, 122 yards). A 7-iron left her about 40 feet short of the hole. When she made that putt, Vinny knew it wasn’t her day. She didn’t say a thing.

 

“I am proud of myself,” said Vinny Papa, 10 and an incoming sixth-grader at Ponaganset. “My sister made more birdies than I did. I played well this week. She just got me in the end.”

 

“It means a lot to win this event,” said Gianna Papa. “I have worked hard but it hasn’t paid off a lot yet.”

 

Until now.