By Dalton Balthaser

 

CRANSTON – When Vinny Papa’s short game is working, she is almost impossible to beat.

 

When she gets ahead of you, pars aren’t going to cut it.

 

Vinny took care of business as the No. 1 seed and defeated Ledgemont Country Club’s Hanley Correia, 5&4, to solidify her spot as one of the Final Four in the Junior Girls’ Division of the Rhode Island Golf Association Junior Amateur at Alpine Country Club (par 73, 5,600 yards).

 

Joining Papa in the semifinals Thursday at Alpine (par 71, 5,326 yards) will be No. 5 seed Ava Santamaria of the host club, Papa’s sister Gianna of Valley Country Club (No. 2 seed) and No. 6 seed Kaylie Porter of Agawam Hunt.

 

In Thursday’s morning matches, Vinny Papa will face Santamaria at Gianna will face Porter. Both at 8:10 a.m. The 18-hole final will take place following the conclusion of those matches.

 

After falling 1-down through six, Vinny won seven of the last nine holes to cruise to victory. She lost to Gianna in last year’s Final at Kirkbrae Country Club.

  

“I felt good today and made some putts,” said Papa, 11, of Foster, R.I. and a rising seventh-grader at Father John Doyle School in Coventry. “I made a lot of pars trying to stay alive in this event. I need to stay focused on each hole and not get ahead of myself. I need to focus on winning my match tomorrow morning before I think about the Final.”

 

Santamaria, with the home club support behind her, took a 3-up lead at the turn and never looked back in defeating Potowomut Golf Club’s Emily Trainor, 5&4.

 

“I have been a member here since I was five,” said Santamaria, 17, of Cranston. “Playing here is second nature for me. The fairways aren’t that narrow and I am used to the greens. That’s the added benefit of playing on your home course, you don’t have to make any adjustments.”

 

Just like John Baldwin in the Boys’ Division, Santamaria is looking to close out her Junior career in style. But the difference is she has the home-course advantage.

 

“I love the people here at Alpine, they are so friendly,” said Santamaria, a rising senior at Cranston High School West. “It is comforting for me being here and I think that’s an advantage.”

 

Defending Girls’ Division champion Gianna Papa rallied to defeat Kirkbrae’s Kylie Eaton, 3&2.

 

She stood on No. 12 (par 3, 150 yards) and gave herself a stern talking to. She told herself she needed to get back in the match immediately.

 

A clutch shot with her least favorite club, 6-iron, to nine feet helped her square the match. She then won the next three holes to put a stranglehold on Eaton.

 

“I needed to get back in the match,” said Gianna, 13, and an incoming eighth-grader at Father John Doyle School. “I finally hit my 6-iron well and it came at the time I needed it most.

 

“I try not to feel the pressure of being the defending champion and having the target on your back. I am trying to focus on playing my game.”

 

In a roller coaster match, Porter hung on and defeated Potowomut’s Olivia Williams, 1-up.

 

A key halve on No. 15 (par 3, 138 yards) was the break Porter needed to stay ahead in the match. Porter made bogey from the right greenside bunker and Williams three-putted from 10 feet.

 

“I am practicing every day,” said Porter, 15, of East Providence and a rising sophomore at St. Mary Academy – Bay View. “I am really excited to be in the semifinals. I just need to focus on the basics. I don’t care about winning. As long as I play well, the rest will take care of itself.”