A Sibling Rivalry
By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer
SEEKONK – The weekend before the 2017 Rhode Island Junior Amateur Championship, the Correia family spent a few days on Cape Cod with friends. Siblings Chad and Hanley Correia were preparing to compete in their first state tournament and were excited for the opportunity since both were still learning the game. A few days before the event began at Agawam Hunt, Hanley injured her leg.
She found a longboard in the family friend’s garage and had an idea.
“I thought it was a good idea to sit on it and go down a big hill,” she recalls. “I fell off and my whole leg was gashed. It was rough.”
She was still able to compete in her first tournament with her brother and they still remember Hanley’s injury and not necessarily their scores from seven years ago.
“Oh, no clue,” Chad said with a laugh. “Probably a lot higher than this year.”
Hanley answered: “Probably in the 100s.”
The brother and sister both advanced to the Round of 8 in this year’s Rhode Island Junior Amateur Championship and they’ve made a name for themselves in the golf world.
“It’s pretty big,” Chad said. “The furthest I’ve gotten is the second round and that was two years ago, so to move on is pretty big. It gets me a step closer to the championship.”
Not only do they support one another, it’s common to see them watching other matches and rooting for their friends on the course. Hanley believes golf has brought them closer together.
“It’s obviously special. It’s probably the biggest thing that bonds us together when we’re getting along,” Hanley said with a smile. “I credit him for teaching me to play golf, improving every day and being a leader.”
Chad recently graduated from Bishop Feehan High School, and Hanley will be a sophomore for the Shamrocks. She also helped the first-ever girls’ team to a MIAA state championship this past spring.
“It definitely helped getting a spring season in, because it warmed me up and helped get me ready for the summer,” Hanley said. “Usually I don’t play a lot in the spring because of school, and everything else, but (playing at school) helped me improve.”
A total of 71 juniors competed in this week’s tournament at Winnapaug and Ledgemont and it’s evident all the kids get along in this close-knit community.
“It’s a blessing and a curse that this state is so small,” Chad said. “It’s a curse because there aren’t as many kids, but the good thing about it is all the kids play together and become great friends. I’ve known these kids since we’ve been playing golf and they’re all great kids. It’s just a great community.”
That’s been on display this week during the Rhode Island Junior Amateur Championship.