By Dalton Balthaser

 

PORTSMOUTH – After playing 140 holes during the 117th Rhode Island Amateur, Mike Hamilton was a bit worn down.

 

But his usual weekend group at Kirkbrae Country Club didn’t care, they were expecting his attendance in their standard Saturday game just a few short hours after falling 1-down in the Final to Kevin Blaser.

 

He happily showed up and shot a smooth 67.

 

“I enjoy golf so much,” said Hamilton, 32, of Lincoln. “As long as playing golf doesn’t interfere with things in my personal life, I want to play. We have a short season so it is easier to get burned out but those rounds on the weekend with my buddies at Kirkbrae are a stress relief. You usually play your best golf when the schedule is condensed because you are always playing and practicing.”

 

Hamilton’s love for the game of golf is evident. Year in and year out he sets goals and pushes himself to try and play to his full potential.

 

Hamilton, aided by a locked-in tee ball, seized the Round One lead of the 39th Rhode Island Stroke Play Monday at Montaup Country Club (par 71, 6,538 yards).

 

His round of 66 was good for a two-shot lead over 2016 champion Kevin Silva of the host club and Austin Cilley of Button Hole Golf Club who carded rounds of 68.

 

Defending champion Joe Tucker of Valley Country Club shot a round of 1 under and sits in a tie for seventh.

 

A total of 48 players made the cut at 77 (+6).

 

“I tell people that I am exhausted playing golf these days,” said Hamilton. “But oddly enough when I get into a competitive round, I get locked in. My focus comes back to me. The game feels quite good, but it is still a grind.”

 

Hamilton wasted no time getting into red figures. He birdied Nos. 1 (par 4, 415 yards) and 2 (par 4, 405 yards). He flighted an 8-iron from 145 yards to six feet on the first and hit a 54-degree wedge from 100 yards to 15 feet on the second. 

 

He made the turn in 2 under and kept the momentum going on the back nine with birdies on Nos. 13 (par 5, 528 yards), 16 (par 5, 525 yards) and No. 17 (par 4, 407 yards). He two-putted from 40 feet on No. 13 and then stuffed his approaches on Nos. 16 and 17. 

 

“I drove the ball well today,” said Hamilton. “Aside from my tee shot on the last, I hit the ball great off the tee. There didn’t look like there was much room left on No. 18 but when you get out there, you notice a huge difference. If you play from the fairways here, you can play to the middle of the greens and make a few putts.”

 

But Hamilton said the most important hole of his round was a key par save on No. 18 (par 4, 312 yards). After his tee shot found itself behind a tree, the best he could do was hit a punch shot to 55 yards in the rough. He stayed mentally tough and converted a 7-footer to close out a bogey-free final 14 holes.

 

“I am happy I was able to scramble for a par at the last,” said Hamilton. “It would have sucked to drop a shot like that after how well I hit the ball. It would have stained the round. For me, it was a huge momentum saver knowing I finished on a high note.”

 

A 36-hole final day is on tap Tuesday for Hamilton. When he won the Stroke Play in 2020 at Quinnatisset Country Club, the tournament was reduced to 36 holes due to weather with only 18 holes being played on the final day.

 

“Just in the month of July there have been a ton of 36-hole days,” said Hamilton. “We do it so often now that it isn’t as crazy as it used to be. U.S. Amateur qualifying, match play in the Amateur and even Kirkbrae Club Championship qualifying is 36 holes in a day. I am at the point where it doesn’t feel like that much of a grind. I just try to go out and enjoy it.”

 

A big part of Hamilton’s offseason program is setting goals for the upcoming year. Back in 2020 it was to qualify for the Northeast Amateur Invitational, and he did that by winning the Stroke Play. Last year, he won the Joseph J. Sprague Scoring Average Award.

 

“My main goal this year is to win the RIGA’s Player of the Year,” said Hamilton. “Whether I win any events this year or not, I want to give myself a chance to achieve that. I feel like I am off to a good start.”

 

Senior Division

 

Valley’s Mike Soucy charged out in front of the Senior Division with a round of 1-under-par 70 at Montaup (par 71, 6,375 yards).

 

Soucy mixed four birdies with three bogeys to hold the lead by three shots over Quinnatisset's Dave McNally, Potowomut Golf Club's Rick Angeli and the host club's Mark Murphy. They all carded rounds of 73.

 

Soucy claimed the Senior Division title back in 2020.

 

A total of 18 seniors made the cut with scores of 77 or better.