By Dalton Balthaser

 

CRANSTON - Spencer Dumas wasted no time getting accustomed to playing in Rhode Island Golf Association events.

 

Playing in his first RIGA event, Dumas, helped by a hot putter, carded a round of even-par 72 to claim medalist honors and the top seed in the Junior Boys’ Division of the 99th RIGA Junior Amateur Monday at Alpine Country Club (par 72, 6,317 yards).

 

“My goal coming into today was to make the Championship Division,” said Dumas. “But then I was playing well so I wanted to get as low of a seed as possible. I hadn’t played here before but looked at the course on GPS and knew I needed to be in the fairway so that was my game plan.”

 

Dumas raced out of the gates with a birdie on No. 4 (par 5, 503 yards). After hitting a 7-iron from 190 yards just short of the green, he chipped up to five feet and converted to get into red figures.

 

Being under par didn’t last long, however. Dumas said he made a great double bogey on No. 5 (par 4, 425 yards). He lost his first ball and got up and down on his second ball from 100 yards to make a six.

 

He bounced back well by birdieing No. 6 (par 3, 200 yards) after stuffing a 6-iron to five feet.

 

“I am hitting the ball much better than I did coming out of the COVID-19 quarantine,” said Dumas, 16, of Plainville, Mass. “I finally got the putter going today. I am starting to feel good about my game.”

 
He would then close out his round in style with a birdie on No. 18 (par 4, 420 yards). A knockdown 8-iron from 135 yards put him 12 feet away. He then walked in the slick downhill putt to shoot the lone par or better round of the day.

 

Earlier this year, Dumas joined Wannamoisett Country Club, which gave him the motivation to play in this event. Since Wannamoisett is a RIGA member club.

 

“I thought it would be a good time to play in it.” said Dumas, a rising junior at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Mass. “The golf course is hard and in good shape, so it has helped elevate my game.”

 

He will now take on Newport Country Club’s Matt Siegal, the No. 16 seed, who’s birdie on the first playoff hole earned him the last spot in the Championship Division. Siegal bested Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club’s Peter Alofsin and Shane Mulhern. Dumas and Siegal will tee off at 8:10 a.m.

 

The cutline for the Championship Division was 79.

 

“I like match play a lot better than stroke play,” said Dumas. “I am going to hit a few more drivers and try to make a lot of birdies. I am looking forward to it.”

 

Girls’ Division

 

All Vinny Papa remembers about last year’s Junior Amateur was that she lost to her sister Gianna in the Final.

 

This year, Vinny will have the target on her back.

 

The younger Papa, fueled by a 2 under back nine, claimed medalist honors of the Junior Girls’ Division of the #RIGAJunior at Alpine (par 73, 5,600 yards) with a round of 76.

 

Vinny, of Valley Country Club, carded six bogeys on the front nine but turned it around on the back. Her ball striking was on point. She birdied No. 11 (par 4, 348 yards) after hitting a 7-wood from 154 yards to six feet. Then hit a hybrid from 142 yards on No. 13 (par 4, 355 yards) to 12 feet and converted.

 

Just like Dumas, Vinny birdied No. 18 (par 5, 414 yards). Playing as a par 5 for the Girls, she laid-up to 60 yards, her favorite yardage, stuffed it to three feet and tapped it in.

 

“It’s nice to be back playing,” said Papa, 11, of Foster, R.I. “Since we started playing after the COVID-19 quarantine, my irons have been more accurate. Today my driver was going well. There were a few putts that I hit too hard but other than that I putted well.”

 

Vinny and the Top 7 girls will have the day off tomorrow. No. 8 seed Hanley Correia of Ledgemont Country Club and Jordan Vrees of Kirkbrae Country Club will play at 8 a.m. The winner will face Vinny on Wednesday morning.

 

“The key for me is my short game and putting,” said Papa, a rising seventh grader at Father John Doyle School in Coventry. “I need to play smart also. There are a lot of bunkers out here.”