GolfNewsRI

Anthony Delisanti won the 2024 Northeast Amateur in an epic, rain soaked, five-hole playoff over Bryan Lee on Saturday evening at Wannamoisett Country Club. 

Delisanti birdied the fifth playoff hole (third hole) to win the aggregate playoff by a shot. 

“It feels great. Definitely a big sigh of relief to see the last one go in for sure. It is pretty crazy, it’s like deja vu from last year at Monroe, it was the same situation. A six-hole playoff there and in pouring rain so I was perfectly prepared for it. Bryan played great, put a lot of pressure on me. It was a lot of fun,” said Delisanti after the round. 

This was the first playoff at the Northeast Amateur since 2012 when Justin Shin won the tournament.

Delisanti will play in the North/South Amateur this week at Pinehurst.

Playoff Time at the Northeast Amateur 

The playoff for the Amateur is three-hole aggregate, so basically the lowest score after three holes wins.

They played holes one, two and three for the playoff and three over and over again until someone wins. 

On the first playoff hole, Delsanti saved par from just off the green, while Lee made a bogey. 

Delsanti took a one shot lead. 

On the second playoff hole, it was Delsanti missing a short par putt, while Lee made his and the tournament was tied again. 

On the third playoff hole, the famous par-3, both players hit the green and made par at the right side pin. 

At this point, the rain was really coming down and thunder was rocking the skies. 

After consulting with officials from the Rhode Island Golf Association, both players said they wanted to keep going. 

So back to the third tee. 

Delsanti and Lee both hit the green, Delsanti sticking it within five-six feet for birdie. 

However, he would just miss the birdie putt, giving Lee a chance. 

Lee’s birdie putt lipped out and rolled by a few feet, but he would make the come backer. 

Play was suspended at this point (around 5 p.m.) with lightening in the area.  

After a break, Delisanti and Lee were back on the third tee box at 6:20 p.m. 

Lee’s tee shot ended up below the hole and had an uphill putt to the right side pin. He just missed it.  

Delisanti was to the left side (looking from tee box) of the flag. 

With rain still coming down, he drained the putt and pumped his fist in the air knowing that he won the tournament. 

Regulation Play 

Canada’s Hunter Thomson started the final round of the tournament with a one shot lead over Lee and Zac Jones. 

However, his tournament hopes were slashed after he made a double-bogey on the 12th hole followed by a bogey on the 14. 

The story of regulation play was Delisanti, who started the final round well back of the lead. 

“Today was just go as low as you can, make as many birdies as you can and see what happens. That’s what we did and got it done,” said Delisanti. 

The Valparaiso rising senior opened the final round with a birdie on the first, two more bodies on the third and fourth holes, and more birdies at the sixth and seventh. 

He made the turn at 29. 

On the back side, Delisanti birdied the 11th hole, before making five straight pars. 

He closed with a birdie on 17 and just missed a birdie on 18 that might have won him the tournament. 

Delisanti would be in the clubhouse at 11-under par. 

Enter Bryan Lee. 

Lee was in the final group after posting rounds of 67, 66 and 66 over the first thee days. 

He played the front nine at one-under par before turning to the back. 

On the back side, Lee saved par on the first four holes, but made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15.  

The Virginia native followed those birdies with a par at 16, another par on the par-5 17 and a near birdie on 18 to send the tournament to a playoff.