PAWTUCKET - Billy Walthouse is back home again and picking up pretty much right where he left off on the golf course, except now he is doing it as a pro.
The Longmeadow, Mass. native, who graduated from URI last year after a stellar career with the Rams, led the field Monday in U.S. Open qualifying at Pawtucket Country Club. He jumped off to a quick start on his way to a 1-under-par 68 to earn one of four available berths in the Open sectionals to be held in two weeks in New Jersey.
The others moving on with him were Clark Robinson, another first-year pro from South Windsor, Ct., veteran Mike Gilmore, the head pro at Winged Foot, and amateur Andrew O’Leary. They all shot 69 and earned their berths in a playoff, eliminating amateur Andrew Depetrillo, who also had 69.
For Walthouse, the day brought back many pleasant memories. He put together an outstanding career in Mass Golf Association events, and even more for URI where he won three tournaments and became only the seventh player in school history to earn an invitation as an amateur into the NCAA Championship. He was last seen last year in the New England Amateur at Metacomet where he battled for the title before being edged by Wannamoisett’s Bobby Leopold.
Walthouse turned pro and advanced through the first stage of qualifying for the WEB.COM tour. He spent his winter in Florida competing as so many young pros do on the small tours to gain experience.
"I was down in Florida for the winter and playing in tour events down there," he related. "I recently got status on the Mackenzie Tour which is the PGA Tour in Canada so I’ve got that to look forward to this summer. I got back about a week ago. It’s nice to be home."
Life as a pro is going about as expected thus far.
"It’s difficult. It really is, but I’m having fun with it so far and I’ve had some success so I’m feeling good," he said.
At Pawtucket, he hit it tight for bird on the first hole to begin with a bird. He added two more birdies, including a long one on nine, for 32 on the front side. He knew he was a great shape and back off a bit on the start of the back nine. Two bogeys later, he decided that was not a good idea.
"I think that’s when you get in trouble when you start easing up," he said. "I was playing a little too cautious so I tried to get back to my routine." He finished well enough to be the only player under par all day.
It was a different type of weather day causing scores to be higher than might have been expected. The early starters had to deal with light rain, cool temperatures and fairly strong wild. By the time the late tee times arrived, the temperature had risen about 10 degrees, the sun was shining and the wind was not as big a factor.
One of playoff qualifiers, Gilmore, was among the early starts when conditions were more difficult. O’Leary, on the other hand, was in the last threesome off the tee. He is a two-time high school champion in Massachusetts playing for Catholic Memorial. He is headed to Notre Dame in the fall.
The playoff was a bit unusual in two ways. One is that it covered two states. The 10th tee is in Pawtucket, where most of the course is located. But it becomes Seekonk, Mass., in the middle of the fairway so that the green is in the Bay State.
Amazingly, all four players bogeyed the 435-yard hole which was playing into the wind. The second hole of the playoff was the 434-yard 18th, which runs along side the 10th and begins in Massachusetts and ends in Rhode Island. All four players hit that green in tow, but Dipetrillo three-putted for bogey.
Dipetrillo had the wildest day. He eagled the eighth, the only par-5 on the course, and had four birds, enough to offset six bogeys for his 69. Gilmore, who two years ago played in the U.S. Senior Open, had four birds, enough to overcome a double bogey on the 170-yard, par-3 15th. Robinson had three birds and three bogeys for his 69.
Former PGA Tour pro James Driscoll was in good shape at 1-under through 11 before making an eight on the par-4 12th and settling for a 74.