Calef Claims Championship
By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer
BARRINGTON – After winning the 120th State Amateur Championship, Mike Calef had a plan.
"The first thing I'm going to do before I go home with my family, is walk into Wanumetonomy, crash a wedding rehearsal and drop this trophy on the bar," he said. "Bob and Matt deserve it."
Bob Murphy served as Calef's caddie during their championship run this week at Rhode Island Country Club. Bob's son, Matt, is getting married Saturday, so as soon as Calef won his match 1-up against past champion Jake Bauer, Murphy quickly grabbed the winning ball, sprinted to his car and drove to the rehearsal dinner.
"His missed a lot of his fatherly duties this week to help me and I appreciate it. I can't thank him and his family enough," Calef said, holding the trophy without his caddie by his side. During the 36-hole championship match, Calef kept telling Murphy, "You should go." But Murphy insisted he stay. As the match progressed the day turned into evening on Narragansett Bay, Murphy thought he would leave after the 33rd hole, but Bauer remained 1-up.
On the 34th hole, Calef made an incredible 20-foot birdie putt to win the hole and tie the match. So, Murphy said he'd stay for one more hole. Calef won the next hole, the par 3 along with water with a par to gain a 1-up lead. There was no way Murphy was leaving at this point. The two walked up the 36th hole together before both players carded a par and Calef earned the victory.
No doubt there's a special relationship between a golfer and his caddie. Calef and Murphy epitomized that this week.
"Bob might be the best green reader I have ever met," admitted Calef. "To have him with me all week through the heat, with Matt's wedding looming over us, but fortunately Bob was able to stick it out take my ball and run."
As Murphy sped down Nayatt Road away from Rhode Island Country Club, Calef, 46, stood with his family and friends and enjoyed the moment.
"It's great," Calef said of winning the championship. "I had no idea it was coming, to be honest. Jake is a stud and he played so well all day. Putts weren't dropping for me, but we stuck with it and finally made a really good one on 16 (34th hole). It was great. Then to make one on 17 was fantastic . . . This one means a lot, and on top of that, to have so many friends and family here rooting me on, I'll have a hard time not being emotional. I'm over the moon right now."
Both Calef and Bauer are reinstated amateurs, so golf is fun again.
"It's been a fun adventure – that's amateur golf," Calef said. "I've had some highs in my golf career. I've had plenty of lows, but that's what golf is, so to play here today, and in this event, at a beautiful golf course, and to beat some incredible players – young and old – it's right up there at the top for sure.
Besides the slick Donald Ross greens, the Jekyll-and-Hyde weather was a phenomenon for the month of June. Earlier in the week, temperatures reached 100-degrees, and the typical breeze from Narragansett Bay was nearly non-existent. As much as heat was a factor, Mother Nature turned everything upside down when she dropped the temperatures 30 degrees literally overnight. Players went from sweat-drenched clothes, to handwarmers in a 24-hour period. No doubt it was a grind, and the best players battled through.
Bauer and Calef were the last two standing.
"Ten out of 10," Calef said when he described the entire week at Rhode Island CC. "The golf course is special. I promise, forever, I will keep this place in my heart. It's awesome. There's so much history here, so to have a little piece of history here at Rhode Island Country Club, I'm ecstatic for that."
This was the 18th time Rhode Island Country Club has hosted the State Amateur.
"We would like to thank Rhode Island Country Club for hosting an outstanding event," said RIGA executive director Bob Ward. "Club president Dan Cregan, head pro Kyle Phelps, superintendent Andy Hannah, along with membership and staff went above and beyond to make this championship a phenomenal event. There's a reason Rhode Island Country Club is an elite venue, and it was on display all week."
The entire field of 129 players all agreed Rhode Island CC was the perfect host.
"Rhode Island Country Club is so beautiful. They made this course pristine and everybody enjoyed this golf course. I loved it. It's in championship form, the greens are slick, and this is what's it's all about. You've got to be able to play here. This is no joke," said past State Amateur champion Dr. George Pirie.
The biggest storyline entering the championship was if Bobby Leopold, a 5-time State Amateur winner, could tie the all-time record of six titles held by Daniel Fairchild. Leopold has been a force on the RIGA circuit for more than a decade and considered one of the best amateurs of his generation. Every player in the field wanted a chance to dethrone Leopold. He reached match play and defeated past champion Jamie Lukowicz, 8&7, in the Round of 32.
In the Round of 16, Leopold and Harry Dessel staged an epic 23-hole match with the defending champion advancing to the quarterfinals. Ryan Porter was waiting and held off Leopold with a 1-up victory to end the champion's reign. Previously, Leopold had won 12 consecutive matches in the State Amateur, however, No. 13 was unlucky. Still, it was an impressive streak.
"I'm proud of that," he said of his perennial success. "Any time you go through one of these it's a long week, it's hard. I'm sad to see it end, but next year I'll try to keep it going again."
It wasn't the end result he wanted, but Leopold was thrilled and appreciative with Rhode Island Country Club for hosting an incredible event.
"It was great," he said. "We had some bad weather, being really hot and then it got cold, but the course stayed in really good shape the entire time . . . it showed its teeth. It was just phenomenal all week."
Looking ahead, the venue for the 121st State Amateur Championship will be announced soon.