By Dalton Balthaser
WARWICK - Growing up in Farnham, Surrey, England, Bobby Leopold often faced unpredictable weather.
Much like the weather you see in The Open Championship each year on television.
As heavy rain and wind led the final round storyline of the 27th Rhode Island Golf Association Mid-Amateur, Leopold felt like a kid back in England.
“I didn’t play golf when I was young,” said Leopold, of Wannamoisett Country Club. “But when I got to 13, my mom always told me to go and play no matter the conditions. She would say if you don’t go and play now, you will never play, even though it would rain every day for weeks. You play good sometimes and play bad, but you know what to expect. I brought six towels today trying to keep my clubs dry.”
There was a 40-minute rain delay due to the heavy rain and winds. Play stopped at 12:26 p.m. but resumed at 1:06 p.m.
Leopold outlasted fellow clubmate Billy Forcier and Winnapaug Country Club’s Austin Cilley in a three-man playoff in steady rain to claim the #RIMidAm Wednesday at Warwick Country Club (par 69, 6,361 yards). They all finished the 36-hole event at 1 over.
He won on the third playoff hole, No. 9 (par 3, 184 yards) with par after Forcier couldn’t save par after hitting it over the green. Cilley was eliminated on the second playoff hole, No. 18 (par 4, 422 yards), with a bogey.
“In regulation, I hit a 7-iron flag-high on No. 9,” said Forcier, 34, of Rumford. “But I thought with adrenaline pumping, I should hit an 8-iron. I pulled it and it carried the green leaving a tough pitch. I hit a good shot but didn’t give the putt enough break. Although I fell short, I am proud of how I played considering it was my first RIGA event of 2020.”
Forcier, the 2018 Mid-Am champion, had three putts to win the event on the three holes he played prior to No. 9. No. 18 in regulation, No. 18 on the first sudden-death playoff hole and No. 18 on the second sudden-death playoff hole. He was unable to make any of them. All of them were approximately 20 feet.
Leopold had a one-shot lead coming down No. 18 in regulation but made bogey. That allowed Cilley and Forcier to get into the playoff.
“I knew Billy was just as disappointed as me going into the playoff with Austin,” said Leopold, 35, of Coventry. “We both missed opportunities to win on the last few holes. The playoff gave us a new start. Any one of us could’ve won.”
Leopold was the last one standing. He successfully defended his title from last year at Pawtucket Country Club.
Now that gives him five Mid-Amateurs (2011-12, 2016, 2019-20), which inches him closer to clubmate Charlie Blanchard’s record of seven (1999, 2001-03, 2006, 2009-10).
Leopold came to the United States from England in 2003 to play golf at Rollins College in Orlando, Fla. He graduated there in 2007 and came to Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. to get his Master of Business Administration. He graduated in 2009.
Encouraged by his father-in-law Scott Cooke, a past president of the RIGA (2006), Leopold entered his first RIGA event, the 2009 John Burke (Gross) just after graduation from Bentley, which he won.
Who’d he beat? None other than Blanchard.
“I’ll never forget,” said Leopold. “I had just graduated with my MBA from Bentley and was playing in the Burke at Shelter Harbor Golf Club in 2009 against Charlie, Jamie Lukowicz and all those guys. I never played in a RIGA event before. It was the time when Charlie was winning everything, and no one knew me.
“I chipped in on No. 18 in the playoff against Charlie to win. My dad would tell you I skulled the chip. I didn’t skull it, but I got lucky. It’s where I learned that I could compete with these guys. I didn’t know how much of a legend Charlie was when I beat him. But beating him gave me the confidence I needed to move forward.”
Leopold would go on to win the #RIAmateur that year also. He defeated Forcier at Crestwood Country Club, 3&2.
From being afraid to play, to being one of the RIGA’s best players in its history in a span of 11 years. And he isn’t done yet.
The missing piece of his puzzle is the Rhode Island Stroke Play, which he is winless. That's his next goal.
“The RIGA has given me so much more than I could’ve ever imagined,” said Leopold. “You forge friendships with the staff and the players over the years. It is a family so-to-speak.
“Without the RIGA, I would’ve never gotten the experience I needed to compete locally, regionally or nationally. They gave me that opportunity. Rhode Island has a ton of great players who never get the credit they deserve.”
Senior Division
Wannamoisett’s nice run in the Mid-Am continued with new member Darren Corrente claiming the Senior Division title at Warwick (par 69, 6,183 yards)
He shot a final round of 70 to back up his opening round of 71 to finish at 3 over. He won by two shots over Shelter Harbor’s Dave Boggini.
“There are so many good guys and good players,” said Corrente, 57, of Providence. “You do feel a sense of accomplishment. Fighting your nerves coming in is invigorating. I was disappointed for not winning the Senior Division of the Stroke Play, I made some tactical errors coming in and it cost me. It’s always nice to see where your game stands.”
In the pouring rain and steady wind, Corrente put together as good of a ball-striking round you could imagine. On the front nine, he shot 2 under, with each of his birdie attempts being inside 20 feet.
He converted two of them.
As he made the turn, Corrente said he struggled to keep grip of his clubs in the rain. He still had a four-shot lead over Boggini with four holes to play.
Boggini birdied No. 15 (par 5, 459 yards), while Corrente made par. Then on No. 16 (par 4, 440 yards), Corrente made a double bogey and Boggini missed a key par save that would've caused a two-shot swing.
Being up two with two to play, he and Boggini matched pars coming in to give him the victory by two.
“The key to keeping the momentum for me is getting rest,” said Corrente. “I am tired physically and mentally after a lot of club events at Wannamoisett. It is a grind. Being at Wannamoisett has helped my game so much. The golf course is so challenging and there is always a match to be had.
“I am looking forward to spending some time with my wife this weekend. I’ll practice my short game to get ready for the Senior Amateur at Triggs Memorial Golf Club next week.”