PAWTUCKET — It was a breakthrough Friday morning for Lily Dessel and Jesse Hellring at the 105th Rhode Island Junior Amateur.
Each player took home a first R.I. Golf Association major title on the girls and boys side, respectively. Dessel knocked off two-time champion Olivia Williams, while Hellring pulled away from Brayden Dickinson at steamy Pawtucket Country Club.
Dessel blitzed Williams on the front side to build a comfortable cushion, cruising to a 4 and 3 victory. Hellring overcame a slow start with some superb play late and rallied past Dickinson, 3 and 2.
“I know she’s a great player,” Dessel said. “But I felt like this was kind of my time to do it.”
“It just feels so great,” Hellring said. “It was a good day and it was awesome to win.”
Dessel finished one shot behind Williams in Monday’s stroke play qualifier and reached her first title round as the No. 2 seed. The standout at Barrington High made the most of her chance on the big stage, carding birdies at the second and eighth holes on her way to a 5-up lead at the turn. Williams responded by winning the next two holes, but a routine par for a win at the 12th was good enough for Dessel to reclaim the momentum.
“To get an early lead, it kind of gives you comfort,” Dessel said. “If you make a little mistake, you know you can bounce back easily because you’ve been winning so many holes.”
Williams has built a strong resumé entering her senior year at La Salle Academy — a two-time Interscholastic League champion with the Rams and the defending Women’s Amateur champion into next week at Wannamoisett Country Club. Dessel has been a steady contender both with the Eagles and in the summer, and this result puts her firmly in the conversation for the state’s biggest prizes on the women’s side going forward. She played a practice round with Kylie Eaton and Morgan MacLeod within the last week, two other expected contenders in a decorated field.
“There are obviously more players in the Women’s Amateur — Kylie, Morgan, anyone over 18,” Dessel said. “But knowing that I can beat players who have beaten all the other women, I feel pretty confident about it.”
Dickinson made birdies at the first and fourth holes to jump in front, and he still held a 3-up lead through six. Hellring was flawless from there as he played the next 10 holes in 3-under, making three birdies against no bogeys. Pars at the seventh and ninth were good enough to pull within one and Hellring connected on back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th to go 1 up.
“I never thought I was going to lose, really,” Hellring said. “I just knew that if I kept hitting greens and giving myself chances good things were going to happen.”
More: Finals set in Rhode Island Junior Amateur golf tourney. Here’s who’ll play for the titles.
Hellring plays golf and baseball at Ransom Everglades School, a private power in suburban Miami. He spends summers living with his grandmother in Smithfield and plays out of Wannamoisett. Tight fairways, long par-4s and lightning greens on that Donald Ross design had Hellring prepared to take on Pawtucket this week.
“If you can shoot OK around there, your game will definitely travel,” Hellring said. “You’ve got to drive it so well. The greens are so tough.
“I felt really good about my game. I’ve been playing well the last month.”
Warwick Country Club produced the other two champions this week. Connor Ahlborg missed the championship Round of 16 in a playoff but bounced back to claim the first division title with a 2-up win over Conner Rabbitt. Raj Mammen impressed in the boys 14U bracket and took care of Aidan Connell, 6 and 5, in the final.
Boys championship
Jesse Hellring def. Brayden Dickinson, 3 and 2.
Girls championship
Lily Dessel def. Olivia Williams, 4 and 3.
Boys first division
Connor Ahlborg def. Conner Rabbitt, 2 up.
Boys 14U
Raj Mammen def. Aidan Connell, 6 and 5.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Lily Dessel and Jesse Hellring win RI Junior Amateur crowns
