By Dalton Balthaser

 

NEWPORT – A loud bellow echoed throughout Ocean Drive in Newport. But it wasn’t the joyful sound of eager tourists in the summer.

 

It was a foghorn. Signaling a dense fog covering of the area and warning vehicles of possible danger.

 

But for Nick Hedden and Joel Harvey, there was no danger. Only red numbers.

 

Hedden and Harvey started their RIGA seasons with a bang, carding matching rounds of 2-under-par 70 at Newport Country Club (par 72, 6,577 yards) Monday to lead the 24th John P. Burke Memorial after Round One.

 

A thick sheet of fog covered Newport for a majority of the morning wave. Sometimes it was hard to see more that 150 yards in front of you. On occasion, you could barely see what the shape of the hole looked like.

 

That didn't bother Hedden. He got off to a blazing start. He birdied Nos. 1 (par 5, 480 yards), 2 (par 4, 366 yards) and 3 (par 4, 328 yards).

 

“Starting out like I did was awesome,” said Hedden. “It was all feel golf. And I took away any expectations. It was like playing in the dark. The mindset was to keep the ball in front of me.

 

“I told myself to try to hit it straight on each shot.  I somehow made birdie on No. 1 after hitting my third from the fescue. I just hit it and hoped. I had no clue what the yardage was and where the flag was.”

 

Hedden was 5 under through 13 but three closing bogeys took some wind out of his sails. But he remains optimistic.

 

Last September, Hedden was the leader after Day One of the 28th Rhode Island Mid-Amateur at Ledgemont Country Club. But a final round of 73 left him one shot back of eventual winner Jordan Amorin, of Crestwood Country Club. 

 

“I need to stay within myself and play my game,” said Hedden, of Connecticut National Golf Club. “Last year at the Mid-Amateur, I rushed some shots on the back nine and it cost me the tournament. That won’t happen again.”

 

Harvey, of Agawam Hunt, is a relative newcomer to the RIGA scene.

 

But his quality round was because of being overprepared. Harvey decided to bring an old yardage book of Newport with him. With the fog he dealt with on the front nine, it was a huge advantage.

 

“I couldn’t use my rangefinder until No. 10,” said Harvey, 42, of Wakefield. “Luckily, I had a yardage book from 2013 with me and I stepped it off like they did way back before rangefinders. We could barely see the flag for the front nine. Not having expectations makes playing in these conditions much easier.

 

“On old school layouts like this, there is so much hidden trouble. The yardage book shows the hidden trouble, which is helpful. Especially when it is hard to see.”

 

Harvey got his first birdie of the day on No. 7 (par 5, 553 yards). He stuffed a sand wedge from 85 yards to six feet. 

 

An easy birdie on No. 12 (par 5, 477 yards) after reaching the front of the green got him to red figures. 

 

On the tricky 16th hole, Harvey threw a dart from 112 yards with his gap wedge. He rolled in the 3-footer to get to 2 under. 

 

Harvey recently joined Agawam Hunt after the closing of Metacomet Golf Club. Agawam has brought in a good contingent of competitive golfers in the last couple years, including 2020 Rhode Island Amateur Champion Jamie Lukowicz and 2019 Rhode Island Senior Amateur Champion Bruce Heterick.

 

“It feels like a state event each time you tee it up at Agawam,” said Harvey. “We have a good bunch of guys that have won state tournaments and makes for great competition. Good players don’t follow a bad shot with another bad shot. They mitigate their losses. You learn how to get the ball in the hole.”

 

Now comes a final group appearance for the first time for Harvey on Tuesday at Pawtucket Country Club. He’s not worried.

 

“I am a no name,” said Harvey. “So, I have nothing to lose. If I keep the ball in the fairway, I feel like I have a good chance to win.”

 

Senior Division

 

Green Valley Country Club’s Paul Quigley bettered his age by six to lead the Senior Division of the #BurkeMemorial at Newport (par 72, 6,194 yards).

 

Quigley, 77, of Warren, carded a round of 1-under-par 70. His round was the only one under par for the day in the Senior Division.

 

David Boggini of Shelter Harbor Golf Club and Chris O’Neill of Pawtucket Country Club sit in second after rounds of 72.