Norton, Tait lead Senior Four-Ball Net Championship

By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer

SEEKONK – It helps when your golf partner knows you better than you know yourself both on and off the course.

That’s the case for Phillip Norton and Andrew Tait. They’ve known one another since their teenage years, and Tait jokes that he made sure to become friends with Norton because he was the “recreational coordinator” during their days at Attleboro High School.

The friends have been playing golf together for decades, and they took control of the Senior Four-Ball Net Championship Tuesday at Ledgemont Country Club.

The partners combined to shoot 9-under for the lead after the first round and believe this format fits their game well.

“Stay in your own game and not get ahead of it,” Tait said of their game plan. “Of course, you play off each other when you can, or when it makes sense. If he’s putting for birdie, maybe I’ll go first and try to get that par in, so he can get after it and he made a few out there today. It’s a fun format.”

The pair had it rolling and carded a net-62 with plenty of birdies.

“It feels like you’re putting into the ocean, and they were going in today,” Norton said. “The course was spectacular and well-conditioned. The greens were firm and fair. A couple of pin placements you had to be careful not to hit the ball past the pin. We played with two great guys – Dave Read and Mike Moretti – so that was helpful. It was just fun to be out there. The key is you’ve got to find a guy you can be with for two days, whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent. Tomorrow’s going to bring more birdies.”

Besides the R.I. Amateur, the Senior Four-Ball Net Championship is one of the most exciting events of the season. A total of 144 players competed on a beautiful day for golf, and all said they’re looking forward to round two Wednesday.

“It’s a senior event, two days of medal play net and you’ve got to have a good partner,” Norton said. Andrew “is a very good partner.”

Their mindset is simple for the second round: “Just get two balls in play, get them on the green and don’t make any big mistakes,” Norton said. “Just play within yourself and get some good swings going.”

Tait concurs.

“That’s the great thing about playing with a partner,” he said. “I’m all gas, no brakes when I play, but he helps put the brakes on and will say, ‘No, you’re not hitting that shot.’ That helped my game today and that’ll serve us well tomorrow – hopefully.”

Like most RIGA events, each round begins with a greeting from the legendary Joe Pieranunzi. The 83-year-old starter is a fixture on the first tee and the players enjoy having him involved in these events.

Norton said Joe P gave them some great encouragement Tuesday morning and it helped put the pairing at ease right away with positive vibes.

“He relaxes you,” Tait said. “He’s genuine. It’s nice and it puts you at ease. He’s the best.”