By Dalton Balthaser

 

WARWICK - Andrew O’Leary and Davis Chatfield have a few things in common.

 

They are both past #RIAmateur champions. O’Leary is the defending champion and Chatfield won in 2016.

 

And both are members of the University of Notre Dame’s golf team.

 

A budding friendship as a result of those shared experiences has them paired up in the 71st Rhode Island Golf Association Four-Ball.

 

O’Leary and Chatfield fired a best-ball 63 to take the lead in the #RIGAFourBall at Potowomut Golf Club (par 71, 6,380 yards) Monday.

 

Play was halted at 1 p.m. due to lightning in the area and resumed at 1:40 p.m.

 

Valley Country Club’s Joe Tucker and Alex Parente finished next-best at 65.

 

Chatfield shot a bogey-free 64 on his own ball and O’Leary, of Pawtucket Country Club, shot 67. None of them picked up their ball either. It was one of those days where one made a putt and the other followed.

 

“We were just looking to play in something,” said Chatfield, 21, of Attleboro, Mass. “We knew this had a possibility of being postponed with everything going on. Luckily it fit our tournament schedules and I was happy with how the day went.”

 

“This is my first tournament since March,” said O’Leary, 20, of Norfolk, Mass. “It’s nice to get the adrenaline back and the nerves. Especially over putts you need to make.”

 

Both Chatfield and O’Leary had minimal experience at Potowomut, but it didn’t affect them. They made a total of 12 birdies, showing their firepower.

 

“Neither of us had played here before,” said Chatfield. “We looked at the yardages and decided we could be aggressive since we are both solid off the tee. It was just one of those days where we hit it great off the tee and had a lot of looks at birdie.”

 

Chatfield, a rising senior at Notre Dame, got red-hot and birdied Nos. 7-11. O’Leary matched Chatfield on Nos. 8 (par 4, 406 yards), 10 (par 5, 497 yards), and 11 (par 4, 355 yards).

 

“Playing at Notre Dame the last two years with Davis has made us good friends,” said O’Leary, a rising junior at Notre Dame. “We are comfortable playing together. We had a lot of fun out there today. We made a lot of birdies and it wasn’t very stressful.

 

“Davis and I started in all of our college events this past season and were playing well. We are trying to keep the momentum we had going.”

 

Chatfield closed out the already perfect round with a birdie on No. 18 (par 4, 391 yards). He hit an 8-iron from 157 yards to 25 feet. And then caromed the putt off the flagstick and in. Both O’Leary and Chatfield said they felt like they were putting into a bucket. 

 

The last time two former #RIAmateur champions won the Four-Ball was 2009 when Bobby Leopold and Paul Quigley won.

 

“Our main focus tomorrow will be to have the same mindset that we had today,” said Chatfield, of Wannamoisett Country Club. “We’ve both been in this position before. It’s a gettable course and anyone can make a lot of birdies. I don’t think we missed a step today. We are looking forward to tomorrow.”