REHOBOTH _ For the second time in two weeks, Will Dickson has earned himself a trip to compete in a USGA national championship event. The reigning Rhode Island Interscholastic League champion turned in what might be his most impressive effort yet on Tuesday when he put together rounds of 70-68 at Crestwood. His 4-under 38 total gave him one of only two available spots for the Amateur in the 72-player field. He will be joined at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield, Mich., next month by University of Florida grad Eric Banks. Banks, who is from Nova Scotia, won the medal at Crestwood with rounds of 66-71 for a 5-under 137 total. Four-time Rhode Island Amateur champion Brad Valois became the first alternate with rounds of 70-69 for 139. Drake Hull of West Rutland, Vt secured the 2nd alternate spot on the fourth playoff hole. Dicksons summer is going beautifully. He is playing the national amateur circuit for the first time. He spent the last three summers caddying at Sankaty Head on Nantucket, part of a program that combines life experience along with golf. After winning his third consecutive Rhode Island Interscholastic League championship in June, and leading his Moses Brown squad to its third team title in a row in the process, Dickson began the summer with an uncertain schedule. He is playing in some AJGA events, but left some things open because he was hoping to qualify for the US Juniors and the US Amateur. Now, he has done both. He did not play in the State Amateur two weeks ago because he made a trip to New Jersey to attempt to qualify for the US Juniors. He succeeded, posting a 36-hole total of 141 and claiming one of three available berths next week's Junior Championship at The Honors Course outside Chattanooga, Tenn. At Crestwood, he posted a 1-under 70 in the morning good for a tie for sixth. He began the afternoon round with a 1-under 34 on the front side. He was in one of the last groups on the course, so he knew he had a tough assignment over the final nine. He stood at 2-under through 27. Three others were at 3-under and 10 players were within three shots of the lead. So how did he respond? ``I had three straight birdies thanks to the help of this kid over here, my caddie, Jack (Steckler, one of his Moses Brown teammates), he said with a smile. While some players do not want to know where they stand coming down the stretch, Dickson does. ``I care. I tried to find out as much as I could, he said. ``I was asking one of the rules officials and Jack checked on his phone a couple times. Dickson had one bogey on the back to drop to 4-under for the day. Banks was already posted at 5-under. ``I knew I had to par last hole, Dickson said. The last hole is a par-5 guarded by a hazard down the left side. He drove into the hazard and had to take a penalty stroke. ``I hit a two-iron to 35 feet and two putted for the par, he said. Dickson had planned to play in the RIGA Stroke Play Championship, but said since he is in both the national Junior and Amateur, he likely will take the Stroke Play off to rest and practice. ``Its fun, said Dickson, who has one more year at Moses Brown but already has accepted a scholarship offer from Georgia Tech. ``Its really nice to play well. I feel real good. Banks had a great finish of his own, making an eagle his next-to-last hole, a 550-yard, par-5, to get to 6-under. He bogeyed the last hole for a 71. Combined with his opening 66, the low round of the day, it gave him his 137 total. Banks is from Nova Scotia and is a member of the Canadian Amateur team, a program in which the top five amateurs in the country receive support to allow them to travel to compete in major amateur events around the world. His involvement in Canadian golf is the reason he was at Crestwood. ``I usually do this qualifier in Maine, but thats next Monday and Im doing the Canadian Open qualifier that day. They overlapped. This is the next closest one I could drive to, Banks related. He was happy to come to southern New England because he knows the area. ``Ive played in the Northeast a bunch (four times) and I really like the area, he said of the event held at Wannamoisett. ``Im staying with the same people I stayed with at the Northeast (Pat Rogers). Banks will be taking part in the Canadian Amateur program until September _ he competed Tuesday with a Team Canada shirt _ then likely will turn pro. The fact that he can play competitive golf as such a high level is a tribute to modern medicine. He had open heart surgery at age 19, after his freshman year at Florida. ``I had a hole between the two sides of my heart, he said. ``They said I had to get it done before I was 20. I got it done in the summer of 2012. ``I feel pretty good now. I try to stretch as much as I can to keep the flexibility up, he added. ``They check on it once a year, but its not a recurring thing that I have to worry about.
