FALL RIVER, Mass. – Ed Kirby of The Aquidneck Club successfully defended his title at the Rhode Island Chapter Championship, carding a 1-over par 71 at Fall River Country Club. The victory marks Kirby’s second consecutive Rhode Island Chapter crown and comes just two weeks before he will attempt to defend his New England Section Championship at The Bay Club and The Kittansett Club.
Kirby’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 10th hole, which helped erase the sting of an otherwise birdie-free scorecard. “I came off a tournament recently without making a birdie, and today I did the same thing, which was kind of incredible,” said Kirby. “But I did eagle the 10th hole, which was big. It got me to 2-under. The conditions were difficult — the wind was up and the greens were tricky — so to get out of here at 1-over par was actually a really good score.”
Kirby edged out Omada Golf’s Nick Petracca, who finished one shot back with a 72 (+2). William Maguire of Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club took third with a 73 (+3), while Arthur Wilson (Golf Galaxy – Warwick) and Brent Amaral (Acoaxet Club) shared fourth at 74 (+4).
Looking ahead, Kirby said the win provides valuable momentum as he prepares for his Section title defense. “It just kind of gives you a little bit of feeling like, hey, you know what? I performed coming down the stretch. I made some great up-and-downs the last few holes. Anytime you get near a lead and get to the final few holes, you don’t know how you’re going to react. Being able to do what I did today made me feel good, and hopefully I can build on it going into the Section Championship.”
The Rhode Island Chapter extends its thanks to Fall River Country Club and Head Professional Tim Leigh, PGA, for hosting this year’s championship. Appreciation also goes to our partners — Branded Bills, Cobra Puma, Five Star Golf Cars, the PGA Tour, and Tournament Solutions — for their continued support of Rhode Island PGA professionals and championships.