GolfNewsRI

Some of the best amateurs and mid-amateurs in the world have descended on Wannamoisett Country Club for the 59th Northeast Amateur Invitational. 

This comes after the Amateur was canceled last season due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

“We are all happy to get life back to normal. It’s certainly exciting to have the Northeast back in Rhode Island and Wannamoisett,” Northeast Amateur Chairman Ben Tuthill told GolfNewsRI. 

This year’s Amateur features nine players that are either from Rhode Island or have strong ties to the state. 

“It is one of the strongest New England fields we have had,” Tuthill added. 

With that as the focus, here is preview of the Rhode Island contenders.

The Local 9

Mike Hamilton 

Kirkbrae’s Mike Hamilton earned an invite to the Northeast Amateur after winning last season’s RI Stroke Play Tournament. 

This is his Northeast Amateur debut. 

“I’m very excited, also nervous. I don’t think that there is enough preparation that you can do, but at the same time you just want to enjoy the experience of it all,” Hamilton said during his appearance on the GolfNewsRI’s RI Amateur Series. 

Hamilton told GolfNewsRI that he started playing practice rounds at Wannamoisett late last week when the course was beginning to take shape for the Amateur. 

“Wannamoisett basically demands every single shot that you have in your bag. I’m glad I waited to get over there because today (June 17) was one of the first days where the course started to look like the Northeast, according to some of the guys over there,” said Hamilton. 

He added, “Obviously, the rough is getting deep and I think they stimped the greens at 12.” 

Recently on a state level, Hamilton and his partner Derek Audette finished in a tie for 17 at the RI State Four Ball Championship. 

Playing rounds at Kirkbrae, Hamilton has been shooting in the mid to high 60s consistently. 

Hamilton tees off in the Northeast Amateur at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. 

Jamie Lukowicz

Jamie Lukowicz edged Andrew O’Leary to win the RI Amateur last year at Pawtucket Country Club. 

That also earned him an invite into the Northeast Amateur. 

“I’m very excited. It’s a great golf course, Wannamoisett is one of the best in the state. I’m sure the conditions will be great, I heard that they widened the fairways a little bit which is good, but I’m sure the greens are going to be fast,” said Lukowicz during his appearance on GolfNewsRI’s RI Amateur Series. 

He adds, “it’s an honor to play in it.” 

Like many of the local amateurs, Lukowicz’s is also coming off the State Four Ball Championship where he and partner Rob Grossguth finished in a tie for fourth, just four shots back of champions Tom McCormick and Larry Lafauci. 

Lukowicz tees off in the Northeast Amateur at 1:39 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. 

Teeing it up late should give the defending RI Amateur champ a chance to see what scores are out there and how the course is playing in the first round.

Bobby Leopold

One of the best amateur players ever to come out of Rhode Island, Bobby Leopold is back in the field at the Northeast Amateur looking for another run. 

“The Northeast is obviously one of the best tournaments that I play all year. The quality of the field this year is exceptional,” said Leopold during his appearance on GolfNewsRI’s RI Amateur Series. 

Leopold finished in a tie for 34th in 2019 at the Northeast Amateur, with his highest ever finishing coming in 2010 when he finished 13th. 

In between 2010 and 2019, Leopold has a few finishes in the low 30s and a 17th place finish as well.

“It’s a hard one. Even though Wannamoisett is my home course, it always plays a little different that week. Green speeds are a little faster, hole locations are a little harder, and then you have the added pressure of people coming out to watch and people thinking ‘hey he is a member, he should be contending,’ so there are a lot of things you have to try and control,” added Leopold. 

In his State Four Ball appearance, Leopold and partner Tyler Cooke finished third, three shots back of the champions. 

Prior to that, he finished in a tie for fifth at Plymouth Country Club’s Hornblower Memorial, with a score of one-under par.

Leopold has the first tee time at the Northeast Amateur on Wednesday, 8 a.m.

Patrick Welch

It will be an emotional return to Rhode Island for Patrick Welch when he tees it up at the Northeast Amateur. 

The last time Welch was in RI, he and his family were grieving the sudden loss of his father, Marty, who passed away in August after going into cardiac arrest. 

Welch and his family left Rhode Island within two weeks and moved back to California. 

Since that fateful night in August, things have been up and down for Welch, golf wise, with seemingly more downs than ups recently.

Things started out great for the former Classical star, he took the individual title at the East Lake Cup during the fall season. 

However, that would be the highlight of the year.  

Last week, Welch missed the cut at the Sunnehanna Amateur in Pennsylvania, posting a three round score of 11-over par. 

Prior to that, Welch was a part of the Oklahoma team that went to the National Championship match, however, he sat on the bench for the majority of the run. 

Oklahoma lost to Pepperdine. 

Now, he comes to the Northeast Amateur, back in Rhode Island, in hopes of turning things around. 

Welch tees off at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday off of the tenth tee. 

Davis Chatfield

Wannamoisett member Davis Chatfield has already had one heck of a 2021 season. 

Just a month or so ago, Chatfield and Notre Dame teammate Palmer Jackson made it to the semi finals of the U.S. Four Ball Championship before losing. 

An incredible run. 

It should be noted that Jackson is also in the field this week. 

A few weeks ago, Chatfield and his brother, Brett, made a late final round charge at the RI Four Ball Championship and finished second by two shots. 

Davis, the 2016 RI Amateur champ, played the final round in five-under par at Valley Country Club to get them into second place. 

Now the Notre Dame star returns home to Wannamoisett seeking a Northeast Amateur title.

Chatfield tees off at 8:45 a.m. off the first tee. 

Chris Francoeur 

URI star Chris Francoeur finished his senior season as one of the best players to ever play for the Rams. 

As GolfNewsRI reported, he will transfer to Louisville for his last year of eligibility. 

Francoeur was named to the All-Ping Region Team following the conclusion of URI’s season.

Prior to making his appearance in the Northeast Amateur, Francoeur finished in a tie for 10th at Plymouth Country Club’s Hornblower Memorial about a month ago. 

A few weeks ago, Francouer made it tot he sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut by 13 shots in Purchase, New York. 

Francoeur tees off at 9:30 a.m. off the tenth tee. 

Andrew O’Leary

Pawtucket Country Club member and rising Notre Dame star Andrew O’Leary is in the field this week at the Northeast Amateur alongside fellow Notre Dame star Davis Chatfield. 

O’Leary has been in each of the last two RI Amateur title matches, winning in 2019 and then losing to Jamie Lukowicz in 2020. 

This season at Notre Dame, O’Leary helped the Irish reach the NCAA Tournament where they lost in regionals. 

Notre Dame had a senior laden team so O’Leary played sparingly throughout the season. 

A highlight for him came in March when he finished fourth at the Spartan Collegiate. The Irish finished second. 

O’Leary tees off at 12:09 p.m. in the Northeast Amateur off the first tee. 

Billy Forcier

2017 RI Amateur champion Billy Forcier returns to the Northeast Amateur this year. 

Forcier missed the cut at the 2019 RI Amateur tournament, but finished second at the 2019 Stroke Play Championship. 

In 2020, Forcier finished 21st at the New England Amateur Championship. 

He only has two scores posted for 2021, according to the USGA Ghin app. Both of those scores came at least one month ago.

Forcier tees off at 12 p.m. off the first tee. 

Chris Roloff

Chris Roloff will look to use home course advantage to contend at the RI Amateur. 

According to the USGA GHIN app, Roloff has played twice in the month of June shooting a 75 and 71 respectively. 

Both of those scores were away. 

In his last round at Wannamoisett, he posted a 77. 

Roloff tees off at 9:21 a.m. off the first tee.