SYMBIOTIC FRIENDSHIP
Hamilton, PC’s Walsh enjoy time together on links
If Mike Hamilton and Bob Walsh were presented with the chance to trade places for a brief stretch, they probably would.
“I want to be a scratch golfer and he wants to be a basketball coach,” said Walsh, a men’s basketball staffer at Providence College.
“I’m obsessed with basketball like he’s obsessed with golf,” noted Hamilton, a 2007 graduate of Lincoln High School.
On the links, the avid golfer (Walsh) and basketball fanatic (Hamilton) once again meshed well together with Walsh on the bag as Hamilton’s caddie during last week’s R.I. Golf Association Stroke Play Championship.
The victory at Quinnatisset Country Club – located just over the state border in Thompson, Conn. – was significant since it was Hamilton’s first on the RIGA circuit. His two-day total of six-under 138 earned him a three-shot win and provided more validity to the belief that when Walsh is by his side, good things tend to happen.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” said Hamilton, noting that Walsh was caddying when he qualified for the 2017 U.S. Amateur Championship.
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A friendship rooted in long drives, tricky putts, and recruiting queries – “Mike will ask, ‘How good is this kid? Can you get him?’” said Walsh – took shape several years ago during a morning round at Kirkbrae Country Club. At the time, Walsh was the men’s basketball head coach at Rhode Island College and was a Kirkbrae member. Hamilton still belongs to the private course located in Lincoln.
They made it a point to remain in touch as Walsh continued to chase jobs, the narrative of the conversation depending on what season it was – basketball or golf. In 2018, Walsh joined the basketball staff at Florida’s IMG Academy.
“A lot of it is conversation to keep him from thinking too much about the moment as we’re walking between shots. Keep it loose.” — Bob Walsh
With Hamilton owning a residence in Florida, the pair managed to squeeze in a round the same week as the 2019 Players Championship.
“We’ve absolutely stayed in touch through the years,” said Walsh.
Added Hamilton, “I think it’s our competitive desire based on golf that helped us [stay connected]. On and off the course, he’s been kind of a mentor. I know I have no right playing basketball, but Bob has a right to play golf. He’s pretty good.”
At last month’s R.I. State Amateur, Walsh stood off to the left when Hamilton rolled in a must-have 25-foot putt on the 18th green at Pawtucket Country Club. His clutch touch forced a playoff in his quarterfinal match against top seed Andrew O’Leary. While O’Leary ultimately prevailed, Walsh had a strong sense that Hamilton was set to turn the corner.
“He’s starting to get comfortable with how good of a player he is,” said Walsh.
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Walsh wasn’t by Hamilton’s side when the LHS alum opened the two-day Stroke Play event with a blistering six-under 66. Amidst his Friar-related duties, Walsh kept close tabs thanks to frequently refreshing his browser.
“I saw what he shot and was pumped for him,” said Walsh.
Last Tuesday’s quick-hitting storm forced the RIGA to condense the Stroke Play tourney to a 36-hole championship. Before finding out his tee time on Wednesday, Hamilton sent out a S.O.S.
“You want the bag tomorrow?” Hamilton wrote to Walsh, who on Wednesday was scheduled to head to PC to be tested for COVID-19 as part of the school’s return-to-campus plan.
When Hamilton learned he wouldn’t be going off at Quinnatisset until 1:36 p.m., Walsh rearranged his schedule in order to free himself up to walk an important 18 holes. He couldn’t completely escape his
Friar basketball duties. While on the course, Walsh participated in a Zoom call with the Friar coaches.
“It actually worked out perfectly,” said Hamilton about securing Walsh’s caddie services with the chance to break through as a RIGA competitor.
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Walsh is more than qualified to give Hamilton advice along the lines of “I like you with a seven iron here.” Club selection aside, Hamilton didn’t mince words when discussing Walsh’s greatest strength as a caddie.
“Even though it’s golf and not basketball, he’s been through every situation on the court that he knows what buttons to push,” said Hamilton. “He’s also a very calming influence.”
From Walsh’s perspective, Hamilton has a knack when it comes to course management.
“He’s got a game plan going in,” said Walsh, hence why his end of this golf partnership tends to stay close to the lighter side. “A lot of it is conversation to keep him from thinking too much about the moment as we’re walking between shots. Keep it loose.”
Once such instance of keeping it easy breezy, nice and easy, occurred when Walsh relayed to Hamilton a text he received from WPRO afternoon talk show host Dan Yorke. Yorke played in the Senior Division of the Stroke Play Championship, his lone birdie coming on par-four No. 17 at Quinnatisset.
“Remind (Hamilton) that I birdied 17. He should have no problem with that hole,” Yorke relayed to Walsh, who shared said information while standing on the tee box with Hamilton.
“I told him this hole can’t be that hard if
Dan birdied it,” said Walsh.
In the end, Hamilton parred 17. Afterwards, he confessed to his caddie that it was the sternest 18 holes he had ever played.
“If you walked around with us, you would never notice that he felt any pressure,” said Walsh. “The level of composure he showed under that type of pressure was really impressive. He never wavered.”
For Hamilton, next on his golf radar is the RIGA Mid-Amateur Championship that’s scheduled for Sept. 1-2 at Warwick Country Club. The Friars are scheduled to be back in school by then, hence Walsh could have a conflict with basketball practice.
Rest assured if there’s a break in the schedule, expect Walsh to grab his caddie hat – a key step in an enduring partnership where the golfer fantasizes about a life in basketball, while the basketball coach seeks to shoot close to par every time.