Underdog Dunham Looking to Dethrone Champion
By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer
PAWTUCKET – Ian Dunham understands he faces a Herculean challenge in his quarterfinal match against three-time champion Max Jackson in the 105th Junior Amateur Championship Wednesday morning at Pawtucket Country.
Dunham, however, thrives in the underdog role and hopes to bring his best, while writing a new chapter in this championship’s history if he can dethrone Jackson.
“It would me a lot,” said Dunham, who defeated Will Owens, of North Kingstown GC, 3&2 Tuesday in the Round of 16. Jackson’s “going for the four-peat and it would be an historical thing if he did that, but I said this morning if someone is going to take it from him, I wouldn’t mind being the guy who does it. I know it’s going to be a real tough task, or not easy, but I’m ready for the challenge.”
Jackson had a challenging match, but was able to close out Sam Perry, of Kirkbrae CC, 4&3. Given the fact Pawtucket CC is Jackson’s home course, there’s been a decent-sized gallery following him this week. Dunham said he’ll block out any distractions and focus on the task at hand.
“Home course is definitely an advantage,” he said. “I qualified out of my home course – Fenner Hill – but at the same time it could be in your head. It could be a sense of added pressure, because in your head you’re like, ‘I play this place all the time and I should win.’ I feel that way when I play my home course. It’s going to be really tough, but I got my game together on the back nine (Tuesday) significantly. On No. 15, I hit an iron shot on that par-3 to an inch, which was the big turning point in my match, so I need to carry that over into (the quarterfinals).”
Dunham, who graduated from Chariho High School and will attend Franklin Pierce University in the fall, played a little golf when he was younger, but it wasn’t until the COVID-19 global pandemic when he started playing a lot more.
“I was a big baseball player coming from a big baseball family, but when COVID hit, golf was one of the only things you could do, so I got out there and started playing more and more and fell in love with it,” he said. “When high school came around my choices were sit the bench for the JV baseball team, or play golf every single day, and I said that’s the easiest decision I’ll ever have to make in my life.”
He spends plenty of time at Fenner Hill and as a result his confidence has grown.
“I hit a lot of golf balls,” Dunham said. “I’m not a huge range guy. I would rather go out and play because on the range you’re hitting off a flat lie every time and hitting a perfect shot. When you play the course you get all these different variances, lies, angles, so that’s why my game has progressed, and having all the shots in the bag for that.”
No doubt there will be plenty of eyes on this match Wednesday.
There were other intense matches during the Round of 16 in the Boys' Championship Division.
Nick Emery, of Pawtucket CC, defeated stroke-play medalist, Quinn Dumas, of Wannamoisett CC, 1-up. Jesse Hellring, of Wannamoisett CC, defeated Button Hole's Joey Iaciofano, 1-up. Drew MacLeod, of Wannamoisett CC, defeated Andrew Lavoie, of Valley CC, 2&1. Brayden Dickinson, of Jamestown GC, beat Sam Fuentes, of North Kingstown GC, 2&1. Rocco Capalbo, of Shelter Harbor GC, defeated Michael Zeller, of Tiverton, 8&7.
In the Girls’ Championship Division, since five players – Olivia Williams, Adriana Eaton, Emma Lockhart, Lily Dessel and Claire McTaggart – received a bye after stroke play, there were three matches Tuesday. Elizabeth Kue, of Button Hole, defeated Ella Rosa, of Crestwood CC, 4&2. Ava Andoscia, of Potowomut GC, defeated Brooke Barner, of Laurel Lane CC, 1-up. Then Julia Nault, a rising junior at Cumberland High School, defeated Maggie McDonald, of Kirkbrae CC, 2&1.
Nerves were running high in the final two matches as Andoscia won on the 18thhole, while Nault drained an impressive 30-foot putt to close out her match on No. 17.
“I think it was pretty lucky,” Nault said with a laugh. “It just got to the edge, so if it didn’t hit the cup it probably would have gone eight feet by, but it was a good moment.”
This is her first time playing in the Junior Amateur and she’s having a blast, especially after advancing to the quarterfinals.
“It’s a new experience,” she said. “It’s been really fun and I’m excited to play (Wednesday).”
Andoscia was trying to hold back her excitement after winning her match.
“It was my first time playing in (Junior Amateur) so I was nervous, and I didn’t think I was going to win today, but I got lucky,” she said. “I’m very excited, like super excited. You can probably tell because I can’t stop smiling.”
In the Boys' First Division, the matches did not disappoint.
It took 19 holes for Connor Ahlborg, of Warwick CC, to defeat Sam Eden, of Potowomut GC. Richie Cavanagh, of Ledgemont CC, defeated Mackinley Garcia, of Crestwood CC, 4&3. Luke Cavanaugh, of Lincoln CC, beat Michael Letendre, of Wannamoisett CC, 1-up.
Noah Patel, of Newport CC, defeated Nathan Carter, of RIGC, 5&4. Nick Adamonis, of Riverside, defeated Sawyer VonFlatern, of Shelter Harbor GC, 5&4. Conner Rabbitt, of Winnapaug CC, beat Gregory Fitta, of Swansea CC, 1-up. Zachary Taraian, of Pawtucket CC, defeated Adam Gorman, of Swansea CC, 4&3.
It was another awesome day in the Boys’ Under-14 Division. Since four players – Mitch McTaggart, Ray Rainville, Raj Mammen and Kailer Louangxay – earned byes during the stroke-play portion Monday, there were four matches Tuesday. Nick Keefe, of Wannamoisett CC, defeated Weylin Lynch, 7&6. Aidan Connell, of Crestwood CC, defeated Camden Fontaine, of Pawtucket CC, 8&7. Nick Capalbo, of Shelter Harbor, defeated Mikey Mendes, of Wannamoisett CC, 7&6.
In the final match of the day, Logan Ferreira, 13, of Montaup CC, who has been playing for only three months, defeated Huck Quinn, 8, of Warwick CC, 3&2. It was an epic match and the future of golf in Rhode Island will be in good hands with all these younger players.
