By Dalton Balthaser
CRANSTON - Any athlete wants to close out their career in a sport or a division the right way.
Not many get to go out on their own terms and win the last event of their respective career.
While John Baldwin isn’t retiring from golf, he is retiring from Junior golf.
Baldwin, backed by a tremendous tee-to-green game, claimed the Boys’ Division of the 99th Rhode Island Golf Association Junior Amateur defeating No. 4 seed Harry Dessel of Rhode Island Country Club, 4&3, in the Final at Alpine Country Club (par 72, 6,672 yards) Thursday.
Baldwin, the No. 6 seed, defeated No. 15 seed Ben Sapovits of Ledgemont Country Club, 4&3, in the morning semifinal match.
“It means a lot to be the champion,” said Baldwin, 18, of Little Compton, R.I. “This was the first event I started to play in when I got serious about playing competitive golf. With it being my last year of eligibility, getting it done was a great feeling.”
Baldwin, a recent graduate of St. George’s School in Middletown, made the turn with a 2-up lead as a result of eight pars and one bogey on the front. Nothing special about it. But it was working.
“I knew Harry was a good player,” said Baldwin, who will play golf at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. “I knew I needed to go out and play my best. At the end of the day I can bore the people I play against with pars. My 2-iron didn’t miss the fairway so that helps put the pressure on Harry.”
“John was tough,” said Dessel, 17, of Barrington, R.I. and a rising junior at Moses Brown School in Providence. “He kept making pars and it seemed like I was always trying to halve the hole. I know that I can win this. It just wasn’t my time yet.”
Baldwin’s high school career helped prepare him for this moment. He was the 2019 Independent School League MVP, where they play match play in their meets.”
“I am comfortable in match play,” said Baldwin. “Our league is stacked and our meets are nine holes of match play. So, I have a lot of practice in this format. You have to be OK with a bad hole.”
Fairways and greens are the staples of a good match play competitor. But good lag putting can’t be discounted.
“I didn’t really make anything,” said Baldwin. “My lag putting was great the whole match and he had to give me basically everything. I didn’t have to stress over 3-footers.”
He didn’t have to make anything. He just needed to keep the pressure on Dessel, who said his game lost its form as the afternoon Final began.
Now that Baldwin ends his Junior career as a winner, he couldn’t help but smile when discussing what he’ll remember about this week.
“Having one of my best friends caddie for me [Peter Alofsin] and laugh with me along the fairways was helpful,” said Baldwin. “It’s one of those things that I’ll never forget.”
Girls’ Division
Last year, Gianna Papa had to go through her sister Vinny to win the Girls’ Division of the #RIGAJunior.
This year, Gianna had to fight off the home club hopeful, No. 5 seed Ava Santamaria. Gianna defeated her in last year’s semifinals at Kirkbrae Country Club.
Gianna, aided by laser-like iron play, successfully defended her title in an 8&6 victory over Santamaria Thursday at Alpine (par 73, 5,600 yards).
“I wanted to hit my irons close,” said Papa, a rising eighth-grader at Father John Doyle School in Coventry. “If I did that, they would have to make birdies to beat me. That puts a lot of pressure on your opponent.”
Papa defeated Agawam Hunt’s Kaylie Porter, 3&1, in the morning semifinal match.
“It means a lot to me,” said Papa, 13, of Foster, R.I. “The title of being a two-time champion stays with you forever. I like the way it sounds when someone says it.”
Papa, the No. 2 seed, played the final match in 2-under-par. It was highlighted by a near ace on No. 12 (par 3, 150 yards) to close out the match. She used a 6-iron just like on Wednesday and hit it to tap-in range.
“I almost made my first hole-in-one,” said Papa. “I was hoping for it, but it stopped when it hit the green. It was a nice way to finish the match.”
Papa, of Valley Country Club, won seven of the last eight holes to finish in commanding fashion. It’s clear that when she has her “A” game, there’s not many who can beat her.
“This morning, I had one of my best rounds ever, said Santamaria, 17, of Cranston and a rising senior at Cranston High School West. “My parents and their friends were following me so that was special. It was so nice to have that support system. It means a lot to be in the Final. Gianna played great. I just didn’t play that well.”
The Papa family didn’t have a guaranteed winner this year like in 2019 when both sisters made the Final. Gianna kept the streak alive with Vinny losing to Santamaria in the semifinals.
With at least five years of eligibility left for Gianna and seven years left for Vinny, the Papa name could be on the #RIGAJunior trophy for quite a long time.
“It means a little to be ahead of Vinny,” said Gianna. “We are cool with each other as long as it stays in the family. One of us has to win again next year.”