By Dalton Balthaser

 

MIDDLETOWN – Just two short years ago, Kylie Eaton didn’t know where her place in golf was.

 

She loved the game in all facets but struggled to see any positive results in competition.

 

“Before last year, I went into tournaments and just tried to play my game,” said Eaton, 17, of Smithfield. “I never expected to win or thought I could win. I got to the point last year where I started to see my game finally come together. I have worked so hard on my short game. It used to kill me. Ever since I shifted my mentality to play my best golf one shot at a time, I started to see results. Now I know what I need to do to win.”

 

That was proven this week. 

 

Eaton, aided by a relentless, yet joyful attitude and pure putting stroke, claimed the Rhode Island Women’s Amateur Friday in a 4&2 victory over close friend Morgan Macleod at Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club (par 73, 5,487 yards).

 

“It means a lot,” said Eaton, of Kirkbrae Country Club. “I am happy to have played good golf along the way this week. I was finally able to get the putter working once I headed to match play. Being confident on the greens was everything for me this week. I wouldn’t have won this tournament without it.”

 

Eaton, the reigning Rhode Island Girls’ Junior champion, took out two familiar foes to advance to the Final. She defeated her sister Adriana on the final hole in the Quarterfinals with a 35-foot bomb and she defeated Potowomut Golf Club’s Olivia Williams in the semifinals, 4&3. She beat Williams in the Girls’ Junior Final last August at Rhode Island Country Club.

 

Eaton, a rising senior at Moses Brown School in Providence, never trailed in the match. She kickstarted her title quest with a birdie on the opener (par 4, 300 yards). She hit a 60-degree wedge from 82 yards to 12 feet. 

 

Birdies on Nos. 5 (par 3, 122 yards) and No. 7 (par 4, 225 yards) helped her stay afloat after making a bogey and a double bogey on the front nine.

 

The duo made the turn tied, but the back nine won Eaton the championship. A clutch two-putt par on No. 10 (par 4, 328 yards) gave her a 1-up lead. 

 

But Eaton said the shot of the day was a nine-footer for bogey on No. 13 (par 4, 324 yards) to halve the hole and keep her 1-up lead.

 

“I hit a great 3-wood in the middle of the fairway,” said Eaton. “Then I chunked my wedge and my chip and left myself a long putt just to halve. That putt was huge.”

 

It sure was.

 

Eaton would win the next three holes Nos. 14 (par 4, 314 yards), 15 (par 5, 352 yards) and 16 (par 5, 446 yards) with a trio of 4s with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. A pitching wedge from 132 yards to 20 feet on No. 15 gave her an easy two-putt birdie to get her 3-up with three holes to play. 

 

A 7-iron from 172 yards on No. 16 got her on the green in two but 60-feet away. She rolled in a six-footer for birdie to win.

 

Macleod, the top seed, played well all tournament long. Her putter let her down on the back nine but she said she will take a lot away from this week.

 

“I didn’t play as well on the back nine as I wanted,” said Macleod, 18, of North Attleboro, Mass. and a rising freshman at Merrimack College. “I played well on the front nine, but I struggled to make putts coming in. It’s good to know that I can get there and that I can do it. It will help me with my confidence moving forward.”

 

Eaton will get no break. She’s excited to defend her Girls’ Junior Amateur title next week.

 

“It was a lot of fun and difficult at the same time,” said Eaton. “I love match play and each match I played this week was against  someone I am close with. I just wanted to take it one shot at a time and enjoy it. There aren’t a lot of match play tournaments. This is one of my favorites.”

 

President’s Bowl

 

For the second consecutive year, a member of Wanumetonomy claimed the President’s Bowl. New member Gail Lederman defeated Jill Albanese of LPGA Amateur GA-RI, 5&4.

 

“This means so much to me,” said Lederman, 59, of Middletown. “I have been playing golf my whole life. My father got me into the game, and he is still alive at 92-years-old. It makes me proud to win this for the both of us. I am thrilled.”

 

The President’s Bowl goes to the winner of the Net division of the #RIWomensAm.

 

Lederman joined Wanumetonomy in February after being a member of Metacomet Golf Club.

 

“Wanumetonomy has such a great collective of women,” said Lederman. “Everyone is so friendly here. This is a great way to start my membership here.”

 

After losing the first hole, Lederman won eight of the next 13 holes to seal victory. A long-time RIGA competitor, Lederman finally has the hardware she has been seeking.

 

“Making golf fun is a huge priority for me,” said Lederman. “When I start playing golf and it is not enjoyable for me, I am going to stop playing. Today was my day. If you don’t have the right attitude in this game, it can be miserable. I’ve grown up a lot in golf. This feels awesome.”