By Dalton Balthaser

 

CHARLESTOWN - Bobby Leopold’s mental and physical toughness has been pushed to the limit this week at Shelter Harbor Golf Club.

 

The two-time Rhode Island Golf Association Amateur champion (2009, 2014) went to extra holes in his Round of 16, Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches. Those matches lasted 20, 19 and 21 holes respectively.

 

But using his experience, grit and upbeat mental attitude, he punched a ticket Friday to the 36-hole final alongside Andrew O’Leary.

 

Leopold, of Wannamoisett Country Club, leads O’Leary, of Pawtucket Country Club, 1-up after the first 18 holes of that final match.

 

The remaining 18 holes of the final will begin Saturday at 7:30 a.m.

 

O’Leary defeated Crestwood Country Club’s Kolby Simmons, 1-up, in his morning semifinal match.

 

Leopold defeated Seamus Fennelly of Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club in a 21-hole match that you had to see to believe.

 

3-up with three to play, Leopold watched as Fennelly made an easy birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 495 yards) to trim his advantage to 2-up. Then on No. 17 (par 3, 178 yards), Leopold was in with par and Fennelly’s last glimmer of hope was a 45-foot birdie putt on Shelter Harbor’s treacherous greens.

 

When Fennelly rolled in that putt with perfect speed and line, all Leopold could do was shake his head. Fennelly’s loud roar and strong fist pump could have made the surrounding Charlestown homes shake. It was a powerful moment.

 

“I’ve never seen as many long putts made on me than I have the last few days,” said Leopold. “When I played Augie Sottile, he made every putt he looked at inside 15 feet. He said, ‘all I have to do is get it started on the right line and it will go in.’ I guess so if it’s that easy. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

 

Fennelly also birdied No. 18 (par 4, 422 yards) to send it to extras. But Leopold continued to stay mentally strong and would outlast Fennelly on the 21st hole of the match after the 2016 University of Rhode Island graduate had to take an unplayable lie in thick fescue.

 

“I’ve been trying to tell myself that the odds are in my favor even though it doesn’t feel that way sometimes,” said Leopold, 34, of Coventry. “There’s only so many 50 footers that people can make on you. I’ve been trying to keep that mentality knowing that I can outlast them in the long run and just try to stay with it.”

 

O’Leary had to come from behind to defeat Simmons. Staring elimination in the face, O’Leary also birdied the final three holes to win the match, 1-up.

 

“Under the pressure, the way I finished was the best three-hole stretch I have had,” said O’Leary, 19, of Norfolk, Mass. “It’s not too often that you birdie the last few holes of an event when you need them. That finish will be one I’ll remember for a long time.”

 

When a few Shelter Harbor members were asked how many times they birdied the final three holes at their club in the same round, the resounding answer was “never.” O’Leary and Fennelly did it in consecutive groups. Pretty crazy stuff.

 

Those results kick started the final between the No. 1 seeded O’Leary and No. 2 seeded Leopold. A rare occurrence in any match play tournament.

 

The duo put on plenty of fireworks in the first 18 holes. A total of 11 birdies were made between the two of them.

 

The key birdie for Leopold was on No. 8 (par 4, 371 yards). O’Leary made a great par after hitting his tee shot into the fescue and Leopold made a clutch 10-footer for birdie after a precise gap wedge from 105 yards.

 

He said keeping the momentum he had built early was important and that birdie allowed him to regain the advantage after losing the previous two holes.

 

O’Leary, a rising sophomore at the University of Notre Dame, continued the putting exposition he’s put on this week by canning a 45-footer of his own for birdie on No. 12 (par 5, 509 yards).

 

“I have played in some recent tournaments where the speed of the greens are similar to what we are facing here at Shelter Harbor,” said O’Leary. “Which kind of gives me a little bit of an advantage. On greens this smooth, if you hit your lines then they will go in. That has allowed me to keep my confidence high.”

 

18 holes stand between Leopold’s quest for a trifecta of RIGA Amateur victories and O’Leary’s maiden RIGA victory.

 

“I’ve got to make plenty of birdies tomorrow,” said Leopold. “Because if you don’t you won’t win. Andrew is a great player. You can see how he has played this week. You dig deep when you can on experiences when you have won a match or an event. Momentum is a big thing and it can swing pretty quickly.”

 

“I just need to keep the mindset that I have had all week,” said O’Leary. “I want to make a lot of birdies and not panic. Bobby’s going to play well tomorrow and bring his best. I am going to have to bring it just a little more than he does.”