By Dalton Balthaser

 

WARWICK – Brad Valois showed up to a familiar place and found pieces of what he used to be.

 

The form that brought him three consecutive Rhode Island Junior Amateurs (2002-04), four Rhode Island Amateurs (2006-07, 2011, 2013) and two Stroke Play titles (2014-15).

 

Valois, aided by his newfound confidence in his game, shared medalist honors with Matthew Lowe in U.S. Amateur qualifying Tuesday at Valley Country Club (par 72, 6,673 yards).

 

He and Lowe finished the 36-hole qualifying at 9 under

 

The 122nd U.S. Amateur will take place Aug. 15-21 at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.

 

“My game has started to improve a little bit,” said Valois, who grew up playing at Valley as a junior. “It has started to translate from the range to the course in casual play and now it showed up in competitive play. Hopefully, some more competitive play will help me consistently play well in these types of events.”

 

Valois went out in the morning and did something he hadn’t done since he was at Toll Gate High School, shoot a bogey-free round of golf.

 

His 66 put him at the top of the leaderboard after the first 18 of qualifying. But he didn’t know because he had no intention of looking at a leaderboard. He wanted to just play golf.

 

He started his second round with a double bogey on his second hole of the round, No. 11 (par 4, 368 yards).

 

But he recovered quite nicely. He made birdies on Nos. 14 (par 4, 372 yards) and 15 (par 5, 467 yards) and rolled in a 40-footer for eagle on No. 18 (par 5, 549 yards).

 

He didn’t stop there.

 

He added birdies on Nos. 1 (par 4, 369 yards), 2 (par 5, 609 yards) and 5 (par 5, 500 yards) to get to 11 under but two bogeys on the way left him at 9 under.

 

Last year, he qualified for the U.S. Amateur through qualifying at Crestwood Country Club. 

 

While the gears don’t mesh as well as they used to, Valois is determined to keep giving it a go. Days like these he said go a long way to help him regain his confidence.

 

“I feel like I haven’t been in competition with a chance to win anything in a long time,” said Valois, 35, of Warwick. “I have no expectations. I feel like I must start all over again. I wasn’t even exempt for the New England Amateur in Rhode Island this year as a past champion. That was a tough pill to swallow. It has been a rough go the last five or six years. But I am starting to feel better about where I am.

 

 

“Getting to play in the U.S. Amateur for someone like me is a novelty. The kids are so good these days and are even better than they were 10 years ago. The fields are deeper. I am looking forward to competing in it again.”

 

Lowe was jolted by an ace on No. 17 (par 3, 162 yards) in his first round. His perfect 8-iron came at the right time after he was only even par through 16 holes.

 

“I was one over through 15 holes after I three-putted,” said Lowe. “I was frustrated. But then I birdied No. 16 and then made the ace. I had no idea how deep I would have to go to qualify. But I was pleased that I had a chance.”

 

But Lowe said his ball striking let him down in the first round. After his first round, he went searching for an answer and found it.
 

“I was frustrated,” said Lowe, 26, of Farmingdale, N.Y. “I needed to figure something out. I skipped lunch and hit balls for 10 minutes. I was trying to find a way to make a swing that would work. Luckily, I found something.”

 

Lowe, a reinstated amateur, shot a bogey-free 65 in his second round to surge to co-medalist honors.

 

Starting on the back nine, he made the turn in 4 under. Then his putter got hot. 

 

After hitting a gap wedge from 128 yards to a foot on No. 4 (par 4, 394 yards), the University of Richmond graduate rolled in a 30-footer on No. 5 (par 5, 500 yards) and a 25-footer on No. 8 (par 3, 219 yards).

 

But why does a guy from New York come all the way to Rhode Island to qualify?

 

“My idiocy brought me to Rhode Island,” said Lowe. “I signed up too late for the U.S. Amateur qualifier in my area. This was the nearest one. I love Rhode Island golf courses. I was excited to come up here.”

 

Lowe feels good about his chances in the U.S. Amateur close to home. He previously played in the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links before he turned pro.

 

“I have heard Ridgewood is awesome,” said Lowe. “This will be as close to a home game as I will have. I feel optimistic about my chances there. I am thinking about my game in a little bit of a different light after today.”