Drew MacLeod wins the boys golf championship in a playoff at Cranston CC
Drew MacLeod wins the boys golf championship in a playoff at Cranston Country Club on May 28
EAST PROVIDENCE — Jack Turner hadn’t played Wannamoisett Country Club before Wednesday.
But he knew where he was when he landed at T.F. Green Airport. And that familiar feeling was plenty for the North Kingstown native. Turner returned home and sparkled in the opening round of the 63rd Northeast Amateur Invitational.
Turner moved to Florida when he was 11 to pursue his golf career. He eventually landed at the University of Florida where he just led the Gators to the NCAA championship semifinals. He’s ranked as the 11th amateur golfer in the world, per World Amateur Golf, and it showed as he posted a 5-under 64 on Wednesday, putting him in a tie with John Daly II for second place. Miles Russell, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, leads by a stroke after shooting a 6-under 63. Tyler Watts and Noah Kent are at 4-under 65, tied for fourth.
“I haven’t been back in two years, and then before that, I hadn’t come back at all,” Turner said of returning to Rhode Island. “So not too much, but it’s tough with the college season and then straight into summer events. To be able to come here and knock two out with the same stone was really nice.”
Turner birdied four holes on the front and was just behind Watts, a Tennessee commit, early on Day 1. Another pair of birdies on 14 and 17 pushed Turner just ahead of Watts.
“I’ve always wanted to play this tournament,” Turner said. “It’s obviously really prestigious and hard to get into, so to finally get that invite, and I get to come home and see some of the friends after the event. It was really special.”
Turner, a junior, earned third-team All-American honors this season after snagging an honorable mention nod last spring. He helped lead the Gators to the SEC championship and ended the year tied for team-best in top-10 finishes (6) and under-par rounds (21).
“It’s really an approach-play course,” Turner said of Wannamoisett. “I know the pins would be tough, and you just have to hit it to a lot of the middle of the greens and just try to make some 15-footers.
“It’s a course where, if you’re hitting your driver great, you’re going to get a lot of good looks. And you just have to try to stay patient because you’re not going to make them all. The greens are really tricky, I had a couple of looks today that didn’t go in, but just stayed patient.”
He’ll have to carry momentum through the week as Watts, who finished 38th last year, is coming off a win at the Sunnehanna Amateur. The 17-year-old became the youngest winner at the tournament in Johnstown, Pa., as he carded a 6-under 64 to win by four shots.
“Obviously, just very thankful for my win last week,” Watts said. “Grateful for that, but I want to keep playing some good golf and have to focus on this week for sure.
“I remember the course pretty well from last year, and it’s playing pretty similar. That definitely helped me out a lot.”
Watts, playing with defending champion Anthony Delisanti, birdied nine, 10, 14 and 16. The rest of the youngster’s day was even as he finished with a 4-under 65.
“He doesn’t need any [advice],” Delisanti jokingly said of Watts. “He torched that place today. He played really solid, and he’s got an unbelievable game, so I’m looking forward to playing with him tomorrow.”
