A New Chapter Begins
By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer
PAWTUCKET – Lily Dessel didn’t want to let go of the Junior Amateur Championship trophy.
It’s understandable given the fact her name will now be etched alongside the likes of Oliva Williams, Kylie Eaton, Gianna Papa and Lauren Dohoney as state champions. Dessel, 17, of Barrington, defeated Williams, a two-time champion, 4&3, to claim the 105th Junior Amateur Championship Friday morning at Pawtucket Country Club. It was an outstanding performance by Dessel, who played well the entire week and never relented.
As she stood with the trophy, which is nearly as big as she is, the adrenaline from her victory gave Dessel all the strength to carry around the championship hardware. It was a major upset as Dessel beat Williams for the first time in competition play.
“It feels really good. I really wanted to win this one,” Dessel said. “Coming into it I wanted to stay confident in my mindset and stay steady throughout the week. That was my plan and (in the final) I wanted to try to get an early lead and it worked out pretty well. I felt really good coming into today and I really wanted to win this one. I know Olivia is a really good player and we play a lot together, so definitely someone I wanted to beat. I’m pretty happy about it, but she’s fun to play with and it’s always a good match.”
After they halved the first hole of the championship match, Dessel took control and never relinquished the lead. She was 5-up after nine holes and finally closed out the match on No. 15. A member of Rhode Island Country Club, Dessel admitted she practices a lot and that has helped build her confidence.
“When I’m confident, it’s hard for me to play bad,” she said. “Being confident in your game changes a lot because one bad shot can knock that down. When you’re being consistent it builds you up for success. I was confident coming into today and my putting felt good all day and it all ended up working out.”
As soon as she closed out her match, Dessel’s older brother, Harry, who is the reigning Rhode Island Stroke Play champion and one of the best amateur players in the state, came over and gave his little sister a big hug.
“It’s very special. I’m glad Harry came out,” she said. “It was nice. He doesn’t always come watch random things, but I knew he was coming to watch today, it meant a lot. It was a great hug after and he’s a great player, so having his support and knowing he validates (my victory) is nice.”
While this is her first state championship, it likely won’t be Dessel’s last.
There were a lot of firsts during the Junior Amateur Championship this week.
Many were expecting Max Jackson, of Pawtucket CC, to become the first junior player to win four consecutive titles, but he lost his quarterfinal match to Ian Dunham, of Fenner Hill. So, that meant there would be a new champion in 2024 and Jesse Hellring, of Miami Beach, Fla., earned that distinction. He defeated Brayden Dickinson, of Jamestown Golf Club, 3&2, for the victory.
“It just feels so great,” Hellring said. “It was a good day and awesome to win. Brayden’s great. He’s the nicest guy in the world, good player and hits it really nice. It was great playing against him.”
Hellring, 17, spends his summers with his grandmother, who lives in Smithfield, and this was his first RIGA event. He’s also a member at Wannamoisett Country Club.
“I love Rhode Island. It’s a highlight of my year coming up here every summer. The RIGA is a great section, runs good events, so it’s great to be a champion. Maybe this will help to become a little more of a local,” he said with a smile. “I still can’t relate to some of the winter stuff you guys have to go through. They’re all great guys and they always treat me great.”
[Raj Mammen and Connor Ahlborg Interview]
It was also a special moment for Connor Ahlborg and Raj Mammen, who won the Boys’ First Division and Under-14 titles, respectively. They’ve known one another since they started playing golf as young boys at Warwick Country Club and they created a bond that remains strong today. In fact, after Mammen closed out his final match, defeating Aidan Connell, of Crestwood CC, 6&5, Mammen remained on the course to support Ahlborg during his final stretch. He beat Conner Rabbitt, 2-up.
“It feels great,” Ahlborg said. “I knew I could win (First Division) once I lost in (qualifying round) playoff because I wanted to be in the Championship Division.”
Mammen admitted he entered this tournament not playing up to his personal expectations, but he was able to focus and turned his game around en route to a championship.
“I got something going, played well (Friday) and it feels good,” he said.
It was an outstanding week at Pawtucket Country Club and we look forward to another great event next season when its members host the 2025 Junior Amateur Championship.
