Final Recap
By Paul Kenyon
EAST PROVIDENCE _ Billy Forcier added the Mid-Amateur Championship to his growing list of RIGA titles on Wednesday, this one a crown that he will remember for the hurdles he had to overcome to get it.
Forcier was ill. He had a light breakfast but vomited that at 5:30 a.m. and had not had anything else to eat when he finished his round at 4 p.m. He, like everyone in the event, had to overcome oppressive heat which hovered around a 100 degree heat index. And, after recording a sparkling 64 on the first day, Forcier went 5-over-par on his first four holes in the second round including a triple bogey seven on the fourth hole.
Somehow, he managed to overcome everything, post a 75 and edge Tyler Cooke by one stroke with a a 36-hole total of 1-over 139. Cooke, who at times was tied for the lead coming down the stretch, had 73 for 140.
``This was a tough day, for sure,’’ Forcier said. ``It’s been a long. I woke up this morning at 5:30 to help with my daughter (13-month old Winnie) and I felt sick. I had something to eat but I couldn’t keep it down. I’ve been too afraid to eat anything since.’’
While he began the day with a three-stroke lead over Cooke, with everyone else at least five back, Forcier looked to be in huge trouble an hour after he began. He bogeyed the first hole and the third. Then he went out of bounds and triple-bogeyed the fourth. Suddenly, his lead was gone and a half dozen players, including Chrs Roloff, Jamie Lukowicz, Ryan Pelletier and Bobby Leopold, as well as Cooke, all were in the hunt.
With the Wannamoisett layout adding to its reputation as being as tough as any course in the state, it was not so much a chance to surge for all the contenders as a battle to survive.
After finishing the front side with a 40, Forcier somehow found the wherewithal to fight back. There were several exchanges of the lead, but Forcier was the survivor as he made two birds and two bogeys on the back side to win it. By the time he was on 17, it was down to him and Cooke. Cooke birdied that hole, the only par-5 on the course, and Forcier birdied on top of him to stay one ahead. Both parred the final hole.
The tile is the third RIGA Major for Forcier. He won the State Amateur last year and took the Burke Memorial back when he was at URI in 2007.
There was only one under-par round all day, a 68 posted by Roloff, a two-time Wannamoisett club champion. Roloff, an emergency room physician, was nine groups ahead of the leaders. He had begun the day 10 strokes off the lead after his opening 74. He was not aware of how high the second-round scores were.
He was surprised when he was told he was the only player all day to break par. Then, he was even more surprised when told that he was only two strokes off the tournament lead as he turned in his card with all the other leaders still having several holes to play. He ended up settling for third with a 68 for 142.
``I short-sided myself a lot yesterday,’’ Dr. Roloff said. ``Today I hit the ball much better.’’
The Senior Division had an interesting finish of its own as Metacomet’s Bruce Heterick, who recently turned 55 to become eligible for the seniors, won on rounds of 71-72 for 143, two strokes ahead of Dave McNally.
Heterick has been a frequent contender _ just this year he reached match play in the State Amateur and made the cut at the New England Amateur. But he has earned a reputation in another way _ he refuses to ride in a golf cart. In this event, with the heat index so intense, Heterick was the only player in the entire field to walk the course. He did it both days, the first day carrying his bag himself. In the second round, a friend from Metacomet, Mike Feeney, came shortly after the start of the round and caddied for him.
``I just enjoy it more when I walk,’’ Heterick said, ``but these two days it was a challenge.’’
The intense heat was that big a factor. A number of players felt round two was less severe than round one because there was a slight breeze, where there was so breeze for most of the first round. The majority, though, felt day two was every bit as draining, in part because the first day had worn them out.
``I thought it was warmer today on the first tee than it had been at any point yesterday,’’ offered Darren Corrente, the new Senior Stroke Play champion. ``But by the time we got to the back nine, it wasn’t quite as bad because of the breeze.’’
Despite the heat, only three players from the 135-man starting field did not finish the first round and only one withdrew after qualifying for the second round. And one of those who withdrew did so for a different reason.
Jordan Gosetti of Pawtucket Country Club was called off the course midway through his round. He received a call notifying him that his wife had gone into labor.
Round 1 Recap
By Paul Kenyon
EAST PROVIDENCE _ After winning the State Amateur championship last year, this golf season has been something of a disappointment so far for Billy Forcier. But that could change in the next 24 hours.
Forcier surprised even himself, recording a sparkling 5-under-par 64 at Wannamoisett, his home course, to easily take the first round lead in the 25th RIGA Mid-Amateur Championship. It was the lowest score he has ever had over the famed Donald Ross layout.
``Easily,’’ a smiling Forcier said as he went over his card. ``I haven’t had many low ones here.’’
The former URI star did not make a bogey. He hit 17 of 18 greens, missing only the par-3 eighth, but got up and down there. He did not have a single five on his card, but did have eight threes.
His score is sensational under any circumstances, but even more when all the scores are considered. His 64 gave him a three shot lead over former Stroke Play and Four-Ball champion Tyler Cooke. Cooke was the only player within five shots of Forcier.
Ryan Pelletier, one of Forcier’s playing partners matched par 69. Only three? players in the 136-man field, the largest of the year for one of the RIGA majors, matched par. More than 40 players did not break 80 on a day when the temperature reached 90 by noon and went several degrees above that by late afternoon with the heat index over 100.
Forcier was the only player hotter than the weather. His world has changed considerably in the last year as he not only won the Amateur but had his first child. Not surprisingly, he has not played as much, or as well, this summer. As it now stands, he is 16th on the points list for RIGA player-of-the-year.
The last round he played was in qualifying for the USGA Mid-Am in western Massachusetts.
``I shot 80,’’ he said with a shake of his head. He spent the past weekend at his sister’s wedding, so he did not come out with high expectations. But he did carry over a significant change from that last round.
``I’ve been playing a cut all year, today hit everything with a draw,’’ he related. ``That last round I was missing everything left, so toward the end started playing for a draw.’’ It was almost stress free since he missed only one green all day and had birds on 5, 6, 7, 10 and 17.
Cooke kept Forcier in sight with a strong finish that included four birds on the back side. Jamie Lukowicz, the leader in the player-of-the-year race thus far, was in fourth with a 70 despite a lost ball on the 505-yard, par-4 second hole.
``It hit a tree and we never found it,’’ Lukowicz said. ``I think a squirrel got it.’’
In the Senior Division, frequent contender Dave McNally of Quinnatisset had five birds, including one on the last hole, for a 1-over 70 and the first day lead. Scores overall were good in the Senior Division, to the point where McNally led by only one over Bruce Heterick of Metacomet. Dean Paziale was next at 72 and Don Wright, Tom Goryl, Jim Mahoney and Paul Quigley all had 73. For Quigley, who is 73, it was the fourth time this year he has shot his age in RIGA competition.
The other story of the day was how so many players braved the heat to take part. Wannamoisett, which annually hosts the Northeast Amateur, remains as big a draw as any course in the state. The conditions are nothing short of superb, especially on the greens.
`` They’re perfect,’’ Forcier said. ``They’re fast but not so fast that they get away from you.’’
Some 150 players signed up, more than can be handled at this time of the year.
``As of a few days ago, we still had 12 guys on the waiting list,'' said Bob Ward, the association's executive director. Earlier, the back-up was even larger. The RIGA made some extra room by having the final 16 groups play in foursomes rather than the usual threesomes. Then, in the last several days about a dozen entrants withdrew.
``I think some of it was work obligations,'' Ward said, ``but I have to think some of it was the weather, too. It worked out that everyone who entered was able to play if he wanted to. The players obviously like the challenge of playing this place"
The RIGA went to extra lengths to provide water at various tees and nutrition bars. While there were early fears that not everyone would finish before dark, that did not turn out to be a problem as the last group walked off the course about 7:10.