GolfNewsRI

Business is picking up at the Rhode Island Amateur on Thursday with quarterfinal matches underway in the morning. 

Semi-final matches will follow in the early afternoon. 

See Bracket Below 

Quarterfinal Matches

Leopold vs Cooke

First off the tee in the morning will be a battle of the brother-in-laws – Bobby Leopold vs Tyler Cooke.

The two have played so much golf together over the years, a lot of times as partners (RI Four-Ball, U.S. Four-Ball), that the match will be fascinating to watch.

Leopold has mostly been on cruise control to this point, taking medalist honors by five shots and then winning his first two matches with relative ease.

Cooke grinded out his first round match against Zach Kovat, before beating Lance Gillett 4&3.

The match is set for 7:30 a.m.

Lukowicz vs Caparco

After dealing with the passing of his mother over the last year, this week has been a bit of a resurgence for 2020 RI Amateur champ Jamie Lukowicz. 

Lukowicz was tied for medalist honors after round one of stroke play before slipping a little bit in round two. 

In his first round match, he used a clutch shot on 14 to beat Patrick Healey 2&1, then won 7&5 over high school star Rocco Biafore. 

Mike Caparco broke the Agawam Hunt course record last year, and has not had too much of a problem in this tournament so far. 

He won his matches 3&2 and 5&3 to advance. 

That match is set for 7:40 a.m. 

Dessel vs Hamilton

Coming off his first year of college golf, former Moses Brown star Harry Dessel is playing some really good golf in this tournament. 

He finished third in the medal play portion and then grinned out a 1 up win over Patrick Ford in the first round. 

In the second round, Dessel cruised past Larry Lafauci and into the quarterfinal. 

There he will face last year’s runner up Mike Hamilton. 

Hamilton got into match play as the 27th seed and beat Mason Gilman in the first round. 

The second round was a bit more of a battle, with Hamilton being down one on 18. 

He won the hole to tie the match and then won the match in 21 holes. 

As they say, seeding is just a number. 

Match is set for 8 a.m.

Jackson vs Valois

Call it “The Present vs The Future,” “Collision of Eras,”  whatever you like. 

Brad Valois has one of the most storied amateur careers in Rhode Island Golf history, while Max Jackson already has put together a heck of a junior career. 

Walking with Valois on Tuesday, Valois was limping all over the place, seemingly could barely walk at times and stairs seemed to be an issue. 

He told GolfNewsRI that he is playing with a  torn labrum and other issues that he is supposed to have surgery on. 

For whatever that is worth, Valois hasn’t had too much of a problem in this tournament so far, beating Derek  Audette 5&3 and Bennett Masterson 5&3. 

Jackson was in this same position last year, RI Am quarterfinal, when he fell to Mike Hamilton on the 18th hole. 

This year, Jackson has run the gauntlet through two rounds, beating 2005 champion Tom McCormick in the first round and then holding off past champion and home course “hero” Kevin Silva in the second. 

The gauntlet continues for the La Salle phenom. 

Match tees off at 7:50 a.m.