By Dalton Balthaser

 

The Rhode Island Golf Association’s premier event, the 115th Amateur Championship, returns to Pawtucket Country Club after an 18-year hiatus July 13-18.

 

Pawtucket isn’t new to the RIGA Major Championship Scene. It hosted last year’s Mid-Amateur Championship, which was won for the fourth time by Wannamoisett Country Club’s Bobby Leopold.

 

The Pawtucket layout will host 126 of the Ocean State’s best. They will all be vying for the most coveted prize in Rhode Island amateur golf, the Rhode Island Amateur Trophy.

 

The event will begin with two consecutive days of 18-hole stroke-play qualifying July 13-14. The top 32 players will then be seeded into the match play bracket. Any playoff for the remaining spots will take place after the conclusion of play on July 14.

 

The first-round matches will begin on July 15, with the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals occurring on July 16. The semifinals will take place on July 17 with the 36-hole final taking place July 18.

 

In 2019, Pawtucket’s Andrew O’Leary took down Leopold, a two-time #RIAmateur Champion, 3&1, at Shelter Harbor Golf Club. 

 

Designed by Willie Park, Jr. in 1924, Pawtucket is known for its pure putting greens and its par of 69, a rarity in championship golf.

 

The last time Pawtucket hosted the Amateur was in 2002 and two RIGA Hall of Famers battled it out for the title. Wannamoisett’s Charlie Blanchard defeated Metacomet Golf Club’s Paul Quigley, 8&7.

 

There are plenty of storylines for this edition. But there’s one that supersedes them all. 

 

“I’m excited to defend at my home club,” said O’Leary. “I have been hearing a lot of chirping from the members telling me there’s no pressure. Hopefully my game will be firing on all cylinders when the tournament starts.”

 

O’Leary has a couple ways to add his name again to the RIGA history books. He’ll look to become the 13thplayer to win back-to-back Amateur titles. 

 

A total of 12 players have won at least two consecutive titles: G.A. Pope, Jr. (1905-06), Daniel Fairchild (1918-19), T.S. Tailer, Jr. (1930-32), John P. Burke (1934-36), Stan Koslowski (1946-47), Robert Allen (1949-50, 1958-60), Robert Kosten (1952-53), Cameron Quinn (1966-67), Brad Faxon (1981-82), Quigley (1986-87), Joe Iaciofano (1997-1998), and Brad Valois (2006-07).

 

He’ll also look to be the first player since Mike Soucy to win the Amateur on his home course. Soucy accomplished that in 2001 when he defeated Blanchard, 3&2, at Metacomet.

 

O’Leary’s ability to defend was looking bleak at the beginning of the summer. With COVID-19 sweeping the nation, the Rhode Island Government wasn’t allowing out-of-state residents to come to Rhode Island unless it was for essential business. There was concern if the defending champion would have the opportunity to defend his title.

 

“At first, I was definitely nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to play with the travel restrictions into Rhode Island for out-of-state residents,” said O’Leary, 20, of Norfolk, Mass. “It’s a relief because that decision is up to the state. It’s not up to you or the RIGA.”

 

With that burden relieved, O’Leary can now focus on the task at hand. His game has been in good form. He and Wannamoisett’s Davis Chatfield won the 71st #RIGAFourBall at Potowomut Golf Club June 29-30.

 

They became the first pairing of #RIAmateur champions to win the Four-Ball since Leopold and Quigley in 2009.

 

“All of the State Amateurs are such a mental battle,” said O’Leary, a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame. “There’s so much golf over so many days that one bad shot doesn’t kill you. You have to use your energy conservatively and stay patient throughout the whole week.”

 

Last year, Shelter Harbor’s wide fairways and course length made it a bomber’s paradise. This year, Pawtucket’s tight driving holes and shorter course length will place a priority on accuracy off-the-tee and distance control with your approaches.

 

“Pawtucket is a second-shot golf course,” said O’Leary. “There are some tricky hole locations and green tiers where you have to place your ball coming in with an iron. Putting will also be key. The greens have been really good there this year and anyone who has a hot putter will be dangerous.”

 

Past Amateur champions in the field include Quigley of Green Valley Country Club (1986-87, 1991); Dr. George Pirie of Valley Country Club (1989, 1994, 2004); Mike Soucy of Valley (1999, 2001, 2003); Ben Tuthill of Wannamoisett (2000); Tom McCormick of Kirkbrae Country Club (2005); Brad Valois of Kings Crossing Golf Club (2006-07, 2011, 2013); Bobby Leopold of Wannamoisett (2009, 2014) and Kevin Silva of Montaup Country Club (2015).

  

Aside from offering live scoring on its website, the RIGA will provide Amateur updates on its social media outlets. Follow @RIGALinks on Twitter and Instagram. Keep tabs on the week's most critical shots through Periscope.