By Dalton Balthaser

 

BARRINGTON – Harry Dessel has won more matches than anyone has in the last three years of the Rhode Island Junior Amateur.

 

But he doesn’t have any hardware to show for it.

 

This year, he has one last chance to seal the deal. 

 

Dessel, the No. 2 seed, defeated No. 14 seed Spencer Dumas of Wannamoisett Country Club, 3&2, Thursday in the semifinals of the #RIGAJunior at Rhode Island Country Club (par 72, 6,393 yards) to secure his spot in the third consecutive Rhode Island Junior Amateur Final.

 

Dessel lost in the 2019 Final at Kirkbrae Country Club to Brenday Fay and he lost in last year’s Final at Alpine Country Club to John Baldwin.

 

He will take on Pawtucket Country Club’s Max Jackson, the No. 4 seed who defeated the No. 1 seed Bennett Masterson of The Misquamicut Club, 1-up.

 

“This is the tournament that I want to win the most,” said Dessel, 18, of Barrington. “I have just come up short the last two years in the Final. This is my last year of eligibility and the event is at my home club. I definitely want to win.”

 

Dessel made the turn in three under but only had a 1-up lead. Dumas shot two under on the front.

 

Dessel won No. 10 (par 3, 193 yards) with a par. But the most important shot of the day came on No. 11 (par 5, 494 yards).

 

After he and Dumas hit poor approach shots, Dumas rolled in a 20-footer for par and Dessel rolled in his 18-footer for par on top of him. He kept his 2-up lead and never looked back.

 

“I am definitely a better player than I was the last two years,” said Dessel, a rising senior at Moses Brown School. “Each of those two years, I played the worst match of the week in the Final. If I continue to play well, I will have a good chance to finally win this tournament.”

 

Jackson and Masterson had an unbelievable match. Jackson shot 70 to Masterson’s 71. The last eight holes were halved after Jackson took a 1-up advantage on No. 10.

 

“Today was the toughest match I had all week,” said Jackson, 15, of Cumberland. “I thought I played well, and it still took every hole to close out Bennett. It was a pretty flawless day outside of my second shot on the last.”

 

 

But Jackson got away with it, he chunked his approach on No. 18 (par 4, 392 yards) but was able to survive since Masterson made bogey as well.

 

Friday’s Final will be a rematch for Jackson and Dessel. Dessel defeated Jackson in the Round of 16, 2&1, at Alpine last year.

 

“Putting pressure on Harry will be important,” said Jackson, a rising sophomore at La Salle Academy. “Our games are so similar that one mistake could cost you the match. I am looking forward to it.”

 

“I thought Max might make it out of his side of the bracket,” said Dessel. “We hit our irons well and hit the same kind of shots. It will probably come down to who makes more putts.”

 

Girls’ Division

 

Olivia Williams put together the performance of a lifetime in a position she’s never been in before.

 

Williams fired a round of 69 Thursday to defeat No. 1 seed Vinny Papa of Pinecrest Golf Club, 2-up at Rhode Island (par 73, 5,525 yards). 

 

Vinny shot 71 herself. Another unbelievable match.

 

“Making it to the Final is a huge deal for me,” said Williams, 14, of Cranston. “I haven’t even made the semifinals before. I have been playing well here.”

 

She will take on No. 6 seed Kylie Eaton of Kirkbrae Country Club. She defeated her sister Adriana, 2-up.

 

Both Williams and Papa shot 2 under on the front nine. But Williams took control with wins on Nos. 11 (par 5, 419 yards) and 12 (par 4, 298 yards).

 

She stuffed a pitching wedge from 110 yards to five feet for birdie on No. 11 and won No. 12 with a par.

 

“Staying calm has helped me,” said Williams. “You have to keep your mental game sharp. Even though I was playing well, I needed to keep focused. Your attitude is a huge part to being successful in golf.”

 

Williams, of Potowomut Golf Club, had a 1-up advantage heading to No. 18 (par 4, 266 yards).

 

Like a true champion in a clutch situation, she hit a wedge from 56 yards to 10 feet and rolled in the putt to win the match.

 

“It was cool to finish off the match with a birdie,” said Williams, a rising freshman at La Salle Academy. “I felt like I was on the LPGA TOUR for a moment. It was a nice way to head into tomorrow.”

 

For the second time this year, Kylie and Adriana Eaton squared off in match play.

 

Kylie, the elder Eaton sister, defeated her sister 7&6 in the Round of 16 of the Rhode Island Women’s Amateur at Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club in July.

 

“There wasn’t much chatter at our house last night about the match,” said Kylie, 16, of Smithfield. “Adriana and I would just laugh each time we saw each other. It was just funny to us to be competing in a match again.”

 

The match was tied through 14 holes but consecutive pars on Nos. 14 (par 4, 360 yards) and 15 (par 4, 316 yards) by Kylie was the difference.

 

“It has been nice to see constant improvement in this tournament for me,” said Eaton, a rising junior at Moses Brown School. “To be able to make it all the way to the end means a lot to me. I have worked so hard.”