By Dalton Balthaser

 

BARRINGTON – Spencer Dumas thought he had wasted an opportunity.

 

He thought he would have to wait another year.

 

After shooting 76 in Monday’s Stroke-Play Qualifying of the 100th Rhode Island Junior Amateur at Rhode Island Country Club, Dumas thought he was on the outside looking in for the Championship Division.

 

“I had nothing to lose,” said Dumas, a rising senior at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Mass. “Once I found out, I drove down here immediately and thought I was playing with house money so I might as well take advantage. I shouldn’t have had a chance to advance.”

 

But he did. His 76 got him into a 7-for-4 playoff. He advanced with a par on the first hole to secure the No. 14 seed.

 

“I hit the ball awesome off the tee yesterday,” said Dumas, 17, of Plainville, Mass. “Inside of 110 yards, I made five bogeys. I knew I was hitting it good. I was surprised to be in a playoff for a spot in the Championship Flight. I thought I had missed my chance. I made a 6-footer for par to advance. I was relieved.”

 

Dumas, of Wannamoisett Country Club, kept the momentum rolling with a 2&1 victory over club mate and No. 3 seed Liam Shibles Tuesday in the Round of 16 of the #RIGAJunior (par 72, 6,393 yards).

 

Dumas isn’t a stranger anymore. Dumas was the Stroke-Play medalist in 2020 at Alpine Country Club and made it to the semifinals where he lost to Harry Dessel. It was his first appearance in the event.

 

Another year of experience under his belt only helps his cause. 

 

He raced out to a 4-up lead through seven holes. Including a 15-footer for birdie on No. 4 (par 4, 351 yards). He hit a 54-degree wedge from 117 yards. 

 

But Shibles made a charge. He played the next six holes in three under to trim the deficit to one.

 

“I was playing the same golf, but Liam was playing well,” said Dumas. “Pars were going to be good as the pressure mounted. It ended up working out. I didn’t want to press.

 

“Last year, I learned it is hard to close out matches. You can get passive down the stretch just trying to hang on. I wanted to be aggressive and finish off the match. You can tend to play safe, and it can hurt you more than it helps you.”

 

Dumas kept playing steady. He parred the last three holes to end the match.

 

Next up for Dumas in the Quarterfinals Wednesday is another Wannamoisett member, No. 6 seed Cole Vieira. Vieira defeated No. 11 seed Ben Sapovits of Ledgemont Country Club, 1-up, in his Round of 16 match.

 

“If I can keep getting off the tee well, I like where I stand as we get closer to the end,” said Dumas. “There’s a lot of golf left, but I am ready for it.”

 

Girls’ Division

 

Ayoung Lee thought she needed to get away from golf. 

 

Coming off one of her worst rounds of her life in a Challenge Cup event, Lee felt a break from golf would help her reset.

 

But golf was what helped mentally get her back.

 

“My dad and I spent the last week at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon,” said Lee, of Wannamoisett Country Club. “That was a great trip for me to improve my game as well as taking my mind off the struggles I had in my last competitive round. It reminded me why I love to play the game. By going out there, I regained my love for golf. It was the mental reset I needed.”

 

The play and practice helped Lee figure out what went wrong and help her prepare for the #RIGAJunior.

 

She secured her spot in the #RIGAJunior Quarterfinals at Rhode Island (par 73, 5,525 yards) with a 5&3 victory over Hanley Correia of Ledgemont Country Club. 

 

“I have definitely improved and playing competitively at Wheeler this year was important,” said Lee, 18, of Sharon, Mass. “It helped me understand what I have to do to be successful.”

 

Lee, who just graduated from the Wheeler School, was recently named to the Girls Golf All-State team in her Senior season. She will go to Colgate University in the fall.

 

Lee stood 1-up as she approached No. 12 (par 4, 298 yards). That lead would grow to 2-up after she rolled in a 25-footer for birdie. 

 

She would win Nos. 13 (par 5, 425 yards), 14 (par 4, 360 yards) and 15 (par 4, 316 yards) with pars to close out Correia.

 

“I try to focus on what’s next and not on the bad holes,” said Lee. “If you continue to dwell on bad shots, the game is much harder. I was happy with how I finished today. It will be good to remember this in future matches.”

 

Lee, the No. 10 seed, will take on No. 2 seed Adriana Eaton of Kirkbrae Country Club in Wednesday’s Quarterfinals. They played in the same group on Tuesday, so Lee said she knows what to expect.

 

“Adriana is a consistent player,” said Lee. “Trying to get the ball closer to the hole with my short game will be a key. Good looks for birdies and pars will be important for me to apply pressure and have a chance to win."