2016 Amateur Championship
| Point Judith CC June 27-July1 | ||
| | Final Match Match Play Bracket - Match Play Results Stroke Play Scoring Final Recap By Paul Kenyon NARRAGANSETT _ Davis Chatfield turned in a performance for the ages on Friday when he held off 2015 champion Kevin Silva and won the 111th Rhode Island Golf Association Amateur Championship at Point Judith. Chatfield took the title when he rolled in a 11-foot birdie putt on the 38th hole. He had kept his composure after losing a five-hole lead when Silva made five birdies, including three in a row, down the stretch to force only the fourth extra-hole title match in tournament history. By winning, Chatfield set off a search of the association record books. Among other accomplishments: He is the first player ever to reign as both the Amateur and Junior champion at the same time. At age 17, he becomes the second youngest Amateur winner ever. Scott Teller was 16 when he won in 1973. By going 38 holes, he and Silva staged the longest title match in tournament history. At 5-feet-4, 120-pounds, be becomes one of the smallest champions ever. ``It’s unbelievable. You can’t beat it,’’ the Bishop Feehan senior and Wannamosiett Country Club member said of winning the title. ``This was as exciting a day of golf as I’ve seen, right up there at the top of the list,’’ said the 32-year-old Silva, a former pro who has played in two US Opens. ``My hat’s off to Davis. . . He’s a gritty competitor and very solid ball striker. His game is only going to keep improving. It seems like he has the right people around him.’’ ``I think it was magnificent the way they conducted themselves,’’ offered Dr. Vin Cavallaro, the RIGA president. ``Those are two fine young men.’’ Chatfield and Montaup’s Silva staged what will go down as one of the very best matches in state history. The play was good, although not spectacular. The two combined for 14 birdies, eight by Silva, although both also a similar number of bogeys. The script added to the excitement. Only 15 of the 38 holes were halved. Chatfield was 2-up at the lunch break then won three in a row from holes 20-22 to go 5-up. The margin was still at four holes through 28. Silva made back-to-back birdies on 29 (with a 30-foot putt) and 30 (pitching in from the fringe) to close within two. When Chatfield birdied the 32nd hole to go back 3-up, even he thought he had control. ``I thought if I could make pars from there I’d be good,’’ he said. ``Just hit fairways and greens and make pars.’’ Silva, who showed the talent of a champion when he won last year, displayed the heart of a champion this time. He birdied the 33rd. He birdied the 34th with an improbable, up and over and down 55-foot putt on the par-3 hole. Then he birdied the par-4 17th, the 35th, as well. Three birdies in a row and the match was deadlocked for the first time since the eighth hole. Silva had all the momentum. Both bogeyed the 36th and halved the 37th, as well. On the par-4 38th, Silva used an iron off the tee. For one of the few times in the match he had to hit his second shot first. On most holes he was outdriving Chatfield by 30 or 40 yards. Silva put his approach on the fringe, then Chatfield hit his pin high, 11 feet left. Silva chipped to within a couple feet for an almost certain par, but he never had the chance. Chatfield rolled in the bird for the victory. The new champion, who already has committed to Notre Dame, was not sure how he would celebrate, but there was a likely choice. He played 36 holes two days in a row in match play on Wednesday and Thursday _ then went home to work out at his gym. He cut his workout to about 50 minutes on Thursday. ``I love going to the gym and take my mind off everything as I work out,’’ he said. ``I go five, six, seven days a week.’’ Chatfield could set another record in two weeks. He was medalist in qualifying for the Mass Am and, as an Attleboro resident, will play in that one, too. In addition to winning the RIGA Junior Championship last summer, he also led his Feehan High team to the Massachusetts Division II title this past school year. He was the medalist in the tournament, with a 70. Chatfield could have played for either Massachusetts or Rhode Island in the New England Junior Championship at the end of last summer. He chose Rhode Island because of his friendship with members of the Rhode Island team, most notably former Junior Champion Patrick Welch. He helped Rhode Island win the title in that event held in Maine. Quarterfinal & Semifinal Recap By Paul Kenyon NARRAGANSETT _ Never in the 111-year history of the Rhode Island Golf Association has anyone reigned as both the State Amateur champion and State Junior champion at the same time. On the other hand, it has been fairly common to have someone repeat as champion two years in a row. That has happened 13 times, not counting the several instances when the same person won three straight years. One of those numbers will change Friday. It has to because Junior Champion Davis Chatfield of Wannamoisett will face defending champ Kevin Silva of Montaup in the 111th Amateur’s 36-hole title match at Point Judith. Chatfield will be trying to do what no one else has ever done _ take the Amateur while he is holding the Junior crown. Silva will be out to do what Brad Valois last did in 2006-07 and 12 others did before him: Successfully defend the Amateur title he won last year. The two will not need introductions. One of the RIGA’s rituals is to have its Amateur, Junior and Senior champions compete in the same threesome in the two rounds of qualifying. That meant Silva and Chatfield played in the same group with Paul Quigley Monday and Tuesday. ``That was a lot of fun playing with them. I can learn a lot from him and Paul, for sure, because they’ve been around here forever,’’ Chatfield said. ``I love playing with Kevin. He’s a great guy. I can’t wait to play with him tomorrow.’’ Silva will be put in an unusual position. At 5-8, he usually is giving up size to his opponents. But he will tower over his 5-4, 120 pound (That’s with golf shoes on and after lunch,’’ Chatfield said) opponent. ``Being the big guy? That’s OK,’’ Silva said with a smile. ``I can deal with that.’’ Both players had to survive tough matches with members of the URI golf team in the semis. Silva had to come from behind to top medalist Eric Marchetti, 3 and 2, while Chatfield was extended to 20 holes before squeezing past Jason Short. When Silva and Chatfield played together in the two qualifying rounds, Silva was seven strokes better, 147-154. While Silva was winning the Amateur last year, Chatfield, playing for the first time, lost to Charlie Blanchard in the round of 16. ``My goal was to get further than last year,’’ Chatfield said. ``The last two days I’ve felt great. I’ve definitely player a lot more solid than the first two days.’’ He and Short, who red-shirted for the Rhody golf team this past year, his first at the school, went at each other from the start. Chatfield birdied the first hole and Short, a Massachusetts native who is working at Point Judith this summer, responded with a bird to win the second. Only twice in the first 10 did the two halve a hole. Chatfield built a 3-up lead but Short fought back. When he won the 16th with a par the match was even. Short had a chance to win on 18, but his 12-foot birdie putt missed by inches. Chatfield kept himself alive with a nice up and down on 19, then won it on the 20th when Short drove behind a tree on the right side, had to punch out and bogeyed. Chatfield becomes only the second Junior Champion to reach the title match while holding that title. The first was Bruce Morin in 1962. Morin lost to his uncle, the late Hall of Famer Ronnie Quinn, 1 up, in the title match. Silva, a former pro who works building cell phone towers, knows about title matches since he was in one last year. ``It’s not a bad habit to get into,’’ he said of getting there again. He was 1-down by Marchetti through 10 and in danger of falling 2-down when he had an 18-foot to save par. He made it. ``That was a huge putt on 10. It gave me a lot of confidence to halve that hole,’’ he said. He then won the next four holes, with three pars and a birdie, and went from there to his second straight berth in the title match. ``Over the last year what I’ve been most proud about is that I stay in my own game,’’ he said. ``I’ve been able to pick out spots on when to attack a hole and when to say there’s no need to attack this hole.’’ If anything could be called an upset in the quarterfinals, it was Short’s 2-up victory over Bobby Leopold. Leopold is a two-time champion in this event and has been playing solidly all summer, including in last week’s Northeast Amateur. Against Short, Leopold led for only one hole, that when he made a deuce on the 197-yard 11th hole to go 1-up. Short responded with a bird on 12 to pull back even, then a par to win the 13th and go ahead. The two ran off matching pars until the par-5 closing hole, where Short chipped in for bird to win 2 up. Chatfield used a quick start to beat Cameron Andrade, 3 and 2. Chatfield was 5 up through 1. Andrade won 11 with a bird and 13 with a par to pull within three, but the key might have been on 12 and 14, where Andrade birdied, but Chatfield matched it each time. Chatfield was 2-under for the match. Marchetti’s 3-and-1 decision over Ryan Pelletier was much the same. Marchetti never lost a hole as he built a 5-up advantage through 11, but Pelletier and won 12 and 13. Marchetti took 14 to go back up by four, but Pelletier responded by staying alive with wins at 14 and 16 to pull within two. Marchetti closed it out in style with a bird on 17. None of the last eight holes played were halved. The Silva-John Hayes IV match was the opposite, with 11 of the 16 holes were tied, nine with pars and two (3 and 4) with birds. Silva won two with a par and 5 and 10 with birds to build a 3-up lead and kept running off pars from there to win, 3 and 2. Round of 32 & 16 Recap By Paul Kenyon NARRAGANSETT _ Ryan Pelletier won two matches in the Rhode Island Golf Association Amateur Championship on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals, then quickly made plans on what he was going to do next. ``I’m going to stop by urgent care to get checked out,’’ the former Four-Ball champion said. ``I think I’ll be OK.’’ Playing injured, at times applying an ice pack given to him, Pelletier beat his friend and Four-Ball partner Kyle Hoffman, 3 and 2 at Point Judith to lead the advance. Pelletier will be joined by an impressive list of quarterfinalists. Others moving are the defending champion Kevin Silva, tourney medalist Eric Marchetti, Junior Champion Davis Chatfield, former Stroke Play winner John Hayes IV, Cameron Andrade, the son of PGA Champions Tour star Billy Andrade, two-time Amateur champ Bobby Leopold and URI player Jason Short. None of the survivors had quite the same reaction as Pelletier. He was smiling through pain. ``I came out of my shot a little bit on the third hole and I felt it,’’ he said of discomfort in his rib area. ``Every rip after that it definitely hurt. I don’t know if it’s a rib muscle, ab muscle or what.’’ He told tournament officials what happened and club officials got him some ice to apply between shots.’’ The match had been a bit different from the start because Pelletier and Hoffman are close friends, have played many times at Pawtucket but never before in a state-wide event. Pelletieer made adjustments because of the pain he was feeling. ``I was trying to ease up a little bit (on full swings),’’ he said. ``I had to change what clubs I hit.’’ The key, he said, was that his short game remained strong, and might have been even better than usual. ``This was too special to drop out,’’ Pelletier said. ``I’ve learned when to be nice and when not to be when we play each other.’’ He and Hoffman were even through eight. Pelletier won 9 and 10 with pars then, when Pelletier won 14 with a birdie he was on his way to the quarters. He will meet the medalist next. Marchetti had to make a clutch 10-foot putt on the 18th hole to get past Moses Brown’s Eli Epstein-Lubow, 1 up, in the first round. He then turned back his URI teammate Seamus Fennelly in the afternoon, 4 and 3, a contest in which Marchetti went even par for the 15 holes. While there were several dramatic matches, the wildest might have been Andrade’s 2-and-1 decision over Chris DeLucia in the second round. Those two went back and forth in a contest that saw birdies on six of the last 10 holes, including one, the 12th, where both had birds. Only seven of the 17 holes were halved. Andrade never trailed but found himself even when DeLucia won 14 with a par and 15 with a bird. When Andrade hit his tee ball on the par-3 16th into the left bunker, he looked as if he was in danger of falling behind for the first time. He had short-sided himself and faced a difficult shot, as he knew. In his morning 3-and-1 decision over Hall of Famer Paul Quigley, he had gone into the same bunker and was unable to keep his blast on the green. With a gallery that included both his parents, Billy and Jody, and his grandfather, John Andrade, the Wofford College senior gave himself a plan for the bunker shot this time. ``It was a go for broke moment,’’ he said. ``If I landed it on the green, it wouldn’t stop.’’ He knew it would roll off the green. So he picked out a spot in the rough where he felt he needed to make the ball land and then hopefully roll enough to get on the green and downhill toward the hole. He hit it to the spot he picked out perfectly. It did not merely roll toward the hole. ``It went in,’’ he said. ``It was pretty sweet.’’ When he parred 17 he had a 2-and-1 decision and his second berth in the quarters. He also did it at Wanumetonomy three years ago. He will face Chatfield, the reigning Junior champion who might have played the best golf of all on Wednesday, especially in the second-round 6-and-5 win over Bryant star McKinley Slade. The 5-foot-6 Chatfield, who recently celebrated his 17th birthday, never made a bogey, never lost a hole and was 4-under for the 13 holes against Slade. The match between Silva and Hayes will feature a rarity _ two State Champions going against each other. While Silva is the reigning king here, Hayes is the reigning Maine Amateur champion. His family lives in Maine but summers in Newport. His is playing in the Rhode Island Am for the first time because the tournament was moved up earlier than usual. He will play in the Maine event in two weeks. Hayes had to survive a dramatic match with Four-Ball champion Tyler Cooke. Hayes won each of the first four holes. The next five were halved. Cooke won 10, 11, 12 and 14 to pull even. Hayes took the 17th with a par for the 1-up squeaker. Silva had his anxious moments in the first round. He was 3-down to Michael Phillipp of Triggs through 12 before Silva won the next four holes in a row to escape, 1 up. He then turned back Metacomet’s Kevin Blaser, 4 and 3, in the afternoon. The bottom quarter of the draw will pit Leopold against Short. Leopold twice won convincingly, 7-and-6 over Wannamoisett friend Tom Goryl and 6-and-5 in the second round over Hendricken star Joe Tucker. Leopold lost only one hole all day. Short, who is working at Point Judith this summer, never trailed in his second-round match against Jake Bauer until Bauer, who plays for Johnson & Wales Miami team, won the 17th to go 1 up. Short birdied the par-5 18 to force extra holes and then won the 19th with a par to claim his spot in the quarterfinals. Round 2 Recap By Paul Kenyon NARRAGANSETT _ As has happened so often in the Rhode Island Golf Association Amateur Championship, a URI player earned medalist honors on Tuesday with a terrific round of golf at Point Judith. The surprise was which URI player did it. Eric Marchetti, who will enter his senior year for the Rams in September, recorded a 2-under-par 69 for a two-day total of 143. That earned him the medal in the 111th Amateur by two strokes over Cameron Andrade, the son of PGA Champions Tour star Billy Andrade. Andrade had a 72 for 145. With the winds down and higher humidity slowing the speed of the greens, scores were a bit better than on Monday when 60 percent of the field could not break 80. Defending champion Kevin Silva proved the course was getable. After an opening 81, he put together a sparking 5-under 66 to surge into a tie for fourth and easily earn one of the 32 spots in match play. However, there were major casualties, led by four-time champion Brad Valois. The lefty made a quadruple bogey eight on the 17th hole, which included hitting a ball out of bounds, for a 77 and 158 total. A playoff for the final spots came at 157. The loss of Valois, the favorite in any event in which he competes in Rhode Island, throws the tournament open to new names. Marchetti fits that description. The Metacomet member had a strong junior career at North Attleboro High but has been limited at URI, in part because of injury issues. He most recently has been dealing with a pinched nerve. In this event, he feels as if he has something of a home course advantage since the Rams do their practicing at Point Judith. He got his day off to a good start when he chipped in for bird on the second and followed that with another bird on the par-3 third. By the end of the day he had four birdies and two bogies for one of only two sub-par rounds in the tournament. His closest competitor turned out to be a bit of a surprise, too, although with a very familiar name. Cameron Andrade first appeared on the local scene caddying for his dad. He played his high school golf in Atlanta, where the family lives for 10 months and will be a senior at Wofford in the fall. He also has been slowed by health issues, in his case a rib injury. He also spent a month earlier this year touring Australia and New Zealand as part of a class at Wofford. Three years ago, he reached the quarterfinals in this event. He in lean, like his dad, and bombs the ball. He says he has been able to outdrive his father since his sophomore year in high school. He has been as steady as anyone in qualifying, going 73-72. Two-time champion Bobby Leopold earned the third seed with a 71 and 146 total that included birds on each of his last two holes. While the talk for two days was focused on how difficult the course is playing, the defending champion showed it is possible to post a low number. Silva has a 66 that included birds on four of his first five holes. The difference had more to do with his thinking than how he hit the ball. ``The biggest difference between yesterday and today is that I played way better course management,’’ he said. ```Today was a lot more thinking my way around the golf course, putting myself in the right spots, understanding that sometimes the front fringe is OK.’’ Other qualifiers included Hall of Famers Paul Quigley (156) and George Pirie (152), both URI alums. Pirie is 67 years old. Quigley, who sets a new record for oldest to reach match play every time he does it, is 71. Tom Goryl, who also is 67, also advanced. A playoff was held at 157 with five players for the final spot. Eli Epstein-Lubow of Moses Brown’s state championship team, won the playoff, rolling in a curling 25-foot par putt on the second playoff hole. Among those eliminated in the playoff was former champion Tom McCormick. Valois was former champion creating conversation for the wrong reason. Another URI grad, he was in position to advance until his next-to last hole when he drove out of bounds then had more problems, leading to an eight on the par-4. In the opening round he took a nine on the par-5 18th. On that one, his approach to the green, rolled out of bounds into the maintenance area. There is a fence there with only a several inch opening at the base. Most balls hit the fence and bounce back toward the green. The shot by Valois found the narrow opening out of bounds. Round 1 Recap By Paul Kenyon NARRAGANSETT _ Ninety minutes before the first ball was struck in the 111th Rhode Island Golf Association Amateur Championship on Monday, Bob Ward, the association’s executive director, received an indication of what was in store. But even he did not know quite how difficult the day would be. The opening round of the Amateur at Point Judith produced some of the highest scoring ever in tournament history. No one broke par. Newport’s John Hayes IV earned the lead by matching par-71 over the 6,691-yard layout. Cameron Andrade, the son of PGA Champions Tour star Billy Andrade, was second a 2-over 73 despite a double bogey six on the 440-yard 17th. Some of the scores were hard to believe. Defending champion Kevin Silva had 81. Four-time winner Brad Valois also had 81, including a nine on the par-5 closing hole. Only 38 of the 116 starters broke 80. Every hole on the course played over par, led by the 365-yard second hole, which was almost a full stroke over par. Players averaged 4.95. Ward received an indication of what was in store shortly after he arrived at the course at 6 a.m., 90 minutes before the start of play. ``I was putting up our RIGA flag and I heard the workers who were setting up the outside tables talking, saying, `The wind never blows like this early in the morning,’ ’’ Ward related. Wind always is a factor at the course off Ocean Drive and less than a half mile from the ocean. On this day, it was not the late starts who had to deal with it. Everyone did. ‘`It’s brutally tough,’’ said Hall of Famer George Pirie, who put himself in good position with a 74. The doctor went out of his way to say it was tough, but fair. ``I spent some time (Sunday) with Eddie Mauro (the former State Amateur champion and RIGA Hall of Famer and one of the patriarchs at Point Judith), Pirie said. Eddie was telling me they want to make this the best course in the state. ``You know what, he might have done it. It’s really a great course now,’’ Pirie said. For years, Point Judith had drainage problems that affected play. The club conducted a major renovation program that raised fairways and improved drainage just over a decade ago and cured those issues. It has continued to make changes under superintendent Brett Johnson to the point where it is almost a different course, a better course. ``I love it,’’ said Silva, the defending champion. ``I could play here every day.’’ Silva’s 81 included four double bogeys, but he blamed himself, not the course. ``It’s tough but it’s fair. If you leave it in the right places you’re fine,’’ he said. ``If you don’t, you pay.’’ Veteran Rob Grossguth has played everywhere. ``These greens are the fastest I’ve ever played,’’ he said. ``I thought Metacomet was fast last year. These are faster.’’ Hayes, the 2013 Stroke Play Champion. Had two birdies and two bogies, but even he had a story about how quick the greens were. He hit his approach on the second within 12 feet. His putt took a turn down the bank right in front on the pin and ended on the fringe, about twice as far as where he putted from. He two-putted from there for a bogey. ``I’d worry that they could become unplayable. They’re so fast,’’ Hayes said. With scores so high, the cut looks as if the cut could be 16 or 17 over. The 32nd score on Monday was 8-over 79. Player Information Sheet Practice Round Information A couple of points of general information for the Championship Dress Code- Please be advised of Point Judith CC’s dress code. Collared shirts are required. Cargo Shorts are not permitted. Please make sure caddies and/or spectators abide by these rules. Caddies- Point Judith has the availability of local caddies. If you would like to secure one for the Championship, please contact the Golf Shop at (401)792-9770. A player must reserve one in advance if they intend on employing a PJCC caddie. Motorized Carts – Will be permitted for this year’s Amateur. There will be a $25.00 fee each day and payable in the Point Judith Golf Shop prior to your round each day. If you intend on taking a cart and have not replied, please email [email protected]. Pre-Qualifying: 18 Holes - Stroke Play Fenner Hill GC: June 1, 2016 - Final Results - 17 spots plus ties
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Past Champions |