The University of Rhode Island golf team finished tied for second in the Rhode Island Invitational as round three wrapped up on Tuesday, despite having the tournament’s top score in junior Billy Walthouse.
It was an unsettling result for a team that was obviously looking to thrive in the home state environment, while playing three rounds of golf at the Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. They quickly found themselves trailing rival and ultimate winner Bryant University by 20 strokes after just one round of play, an insurmountable deficit that was jointly shared by the rest of the field. Â
The Rams made strides after early woes, rallying to earn a runner-up finish, but ultimately stayed 20 strokes off the winning pace, with a final score of +28 par that despite their spot on the leaderboard did not sit well with head coach Gregg Burke.
“We take no satisfaction in coming in second by 20 shots,†Burke said. “Obviously having Billy win is a tremendous source of pride.â€
Walthouse was impressive throughout, setting the tone in the opening round with the tourney’s low mark of 67, and a final score of +5 par that edged out Bryant’s McKinley Slade (+3 par) for his third victory of the season.
“As I’ve said many, many times, Billy shooting scores like -5 par are no surprise,†Burke said. “He is one of the top 100 golfers in the country and this is what they shoot.â€
Walthouse was the only golfer on the team to card a score under par, but freshman Dawson Jones, who has been up-and-down throughout the year, thrived while playing as an individual instead of being member of the team’s lineup, tallying a total of 219 (+3), which earned him a tie for fifth place.
“I took Dawson out of the lineup as a ‘reset’,†Burke said. “He needed to get back to playing golf instead of worrying about playing well. Him finishing fifth in the tournament is a simple indication of what he can do.â€
URI also produced top 15 finishers in senior captain Joe Leavitt, junior Eric Marchetti and sophomore Brody King, all three going +7 par, with the latter two also competing as individuals, not as members of the team lineup. Rounding out the Rams’ card were a triumvirate of seniors in Seamus Fennelly, who was one of only two players to shoot under par in the final round, matching his career best with a 71; Makenzie Denver, who is still battling back spasms; and Nick Fairweather, who finished tied for 25th, 35th and 48th respectively.
The Rams will not have much time to regroup with the Till Duty is Done Invitational beginning Saturday in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun Golf Club.