SEEKONK _ It will be a soon-to-be golf pro against a golf agent for the title in the 113th RIGA Amateur Championship on Friday at Ledgemont Country Club.
Lefty Jake Bauer, from Montaup, and former New England Amateur champion Matt Broome, of Rhode Island Club, both won twice on Thursday to earn spots in the 36-hole title match.
While the event was dominated by upsets and the presence of a half dozen former champions, the title match will feature two guys who have been gone about their work quietly and efficiently. Broome finished second in qualifying, Bauer fifth. And both have played tremendously in match play, as well, capped by sensational efforts in winning their semifinal matches Thursday afternoon.
Bauer was 6-under for the 12 holes he needed to eliminate URI assistant coach Eric Marchetti, 7 and 6. Broome was 5-under as he eliminated 2005 champion Tom McCormick, 4 and 3.
No introductions will be needed Friday morning. The two East Bay stars know each other well. Bauer caddied for a time at Newport Country Club where he worked with Brad Broome, who is cddy for his older brother this week. Just last summer, Bauer and Matt Broome tied for the first alternate spot in U.S. Amateur qualifying.
“He won first alternate,’’ Bauer related. “I got second.’’
Matt Broome has been around golf all his life. His father, Peter, is an executive for the Acushnet Company. Broome was a terrific player as a junior. He reached the title match of the RIGA Junior in 2004 before being beaten by Brad Valois. Broome had a strong college career at Furman. He won the New Amateur at Charles River Country Club in Massachusetts in 2008. He now works as a client executive for 4Sports, an agency that represents a number of PGA Tour players.
He is based in south Florida and has played in the RIGA Am only once or twice, by his recollection, since 2008. He entered this week because of a promise he made to his brother.
“I told him if he qualified I’d play,’’ Broome said. His brother did, although he missed match play by two strokes. Matt did not have to qualify to get in because of points he earned in the national Mid-Am Championship.
The brothers have had a great last three days as Broome has been behind only once in his four matches.
“It’s been fun. It’s been a blast to be back up here in Rhode Island,’’ he said. “I’ve been playing a bunch of Mid Am golf. I didn’t get to play a practice round here this week but I had it going in the stroke play and I’ve kind of kept that going. I’m keping a simple game plan, simple tee shots, hit a bunch of greens. . . I’ve been fortunate because I’ve gotten off to good starts.’’ He had six birdies in his victory over McCormick. The only problem he has is dealing with travel plans.
“I had a 2:15 flight this afternoon to Ireland that will have to be rebooked,’’ Broome said. “I was supposed to play in Ireland for a few days.’’ That is in connection with work. He will go from Ireland to Carnoustie in Scotland for the British Open the following week to work with clients.
Bauer is making major changes in his life. He just graduated from Johnson & Wales in Miami where we was a first-team NAIA All-American in golf and graduated summa cum laude. When he came home for Christmas he spoke with his parents about what to do when he graduated. They agreed he would turn pro but have to raise money to pay for the cost of travelling the pro circuit.
“I decided if I’m going to do it I want to do it while I’m young,’’ he said.
He has been workings Chris Hawley, whom he met when Hawley was an assistant coach at Johnson & Wales and now has the KOHR Golf School in Massachusetts.
“I never really had a swing coach. . . We’ve been chatting back and forth (this week),’’ Bauer said. “Every time we’ve chatted I seem to get something and I’ve put it in place . . . He teaches simple mechanics. . . He doesn’t try to changes things, which I like. And he’s a lefty which I really like.’’
While he has been playing well all week he saved his best for the semifinals when he blitzed Marchetti with six birds and six pars in the 12 holes he needed for the 7-and-6 deicison.
Broome had eliminated defending champion Bill Forcier, 1 up, in the quarterfinals. Broome began birdie, birdie, birdie, par and won all four holes. But Forcier battled back and drew within one after 15. The last three holes were halved with pars. Forcier shot 70 and lost.
Bauer never trailed in his morning match with high school teacher and coach Chris DeLucia, but had to go to the final hole to post a 1-up win. Three different times Bauer took a lead. DeLucia fought back but came up one hole short.
Marchetti put an end to the upset run of 32nd seed Claudio Soukamneuth by jumping to a big early and going on to a 3-and-2 victory in that quarerfinal. Marchetti won four holes in a row on the front side and led by five at the turn.
McCormick birdied the first two holes and was 4-under on the front on the way to a 2-and-1 decision over two-time champion Bobby Leopold. McCormick never trailed and led by as many as four holes.