Juliet Vongphoumy (right) and her parents, who were all smiles after she won the state high school title, had another reason to smile yesterday.

The Journal / Bob Breidenbach

EAST PROVIDENCE –– Nick Cioe was waiting for his turn to chip to the 18th green at Agawam Hunt. He was still minutes away from completing play in the first round of the 103rd R.I. Golf Association Amateur championship, but he decided not to wait to begin talking about his day.

“This girl,” Cioe said as he walked up to some friends, “is really something. I’ve nicknamed her Jules. She’s a jewel. She really is.”

He was talking about Juliet Vongphoumy, the 14-year-old who just finished her freshman year at La Salle Academy. Cioe is one of the veterans of Rhode Island golf, having played in at least 20 amateurs. He was on his way to shooting an 81, but all he wanted to do was talk about Vongphoumy, who also was on her way to the same score.

Cioe was not alone, either. Vongphoumy clearly was the star of the day. Never mind that she finished 14 strokes behind the leader, Jason Hull of Fenner Hill, who fired a 67. Hull had the misfortunate of having his best day in a state championship on the same day a 5-foot-1½, 90-pound girl made state golf history.

While her drives often were 40 or 50 yards, or even more, short of other players’, Vongphoumy used her sweet swing, composure and considerable talent to more than hold her own against the men. She had one bad stretch in which she went 6-over from the 10th through 13th holes, but responded by going par, birdie, par over the next three holes. She had a chance to break 80 until driving into a bunker on 18 and making six on the par-4 hole.

Her score was better than 24 of the 138 players and matched 12 others. Vongphoumy, who earned the right to play by winning the R.I. Interscholastic League championship, which carries with it an exemption into the Amateur, admitted she felt a bit different than usual.

“Having you guys follow me around was making me a little bit nervous,” she said as several television cameras and tape recorders were pointed at her. She said she didn’t drive the ball as well as she can. She was not happy with her putting, either. But she realized she had done something special.

“It’s nice knowing I made history,” she said. “I had my own little audience. It was good.”

Vongphoumy won the Interscholastic League title with rounds of 71 and 77 at Cranston Country Club. But yesterday she had to play from the men’s tees, making the course about 1,000 yards longer. After learning the game at the Button Hole Short Course and Teaching Center, Vongphoumy has been playing often, since school finished, at Metacomet, which has given her playing privileges and afforded her the chance to play a full-length course.

She had her father, Sam, caddying for her yesterday, which she said helped.

“I’ve played well with my dad. We don’t argue much. We compromise,” she said. “It was fun having him around.”

Vongphoumy’s mother, Katie, her three sisters, high school coach Sue Mouchon and a number of women who regularly compete in statewide women’s events also came to see her. It was difficult for anyone who watched not to come away impressed.

Pat Monti, the third member of the threesome, was among them, although he waited until he had finished play to begin talking about Vongphoumy.

“The one thing that impressed me the most about her was her composure,” Monti said. “Nothing bothers her. She has talent.”

Does a 14-year-old girl belong in the event with the best men’s golfers in the state, Monti was asked?

“Absolutely,” he responded. “She can play. She gets it done. She certainly does.”

Lost amid the attention given Vongphouomy was an outstanding effort by Hull. He is one of the bright new names on the Rhode Island scene.

Hull moved to Rhode Island from Kansas City eight years ago, but began playing in RIGA events only four years ago.

He has contended in several events, including the Burke Memorial earlier this season. Hull has earned a reputation as an outstanding ball-striker whose concern is with the putter.

But yesterday he putted well.

“The cup looked like a basketball hoop,” he said. “I made everything.”

Two-time defending champion Brad Valois, a URI star, and David McAndrew, the top player for Stetson University last season, had 69s, and another collegian, Garrett Medeiros, who plays for Wofford, had a 70.

Green Valley’s Alex Grimes, the only player in the field younger than Vongphoumy –– at 13 he became one of the youngest ever to compete in the event –– had a 78, including a 36 on the back nine.

103rd R.I. Amateur

At Agawam Hunt

 1, Jason Hull, 32-35—67; T2, Brad Valois, 35-34—69; David McAndrew, 34-35—69; T4, David Sampson, 35-35—70; Garrett Medeiros, 36-34—70; T6, Andy Calcione, 36-35—71; Jamie Lukowicz, 36-35—71; Jeffrey Ray, 36-35—71; Tom Acciardo, 38-33—71; T10, Bruce Heterick, 39-33—72; John Auclair, 36-36—72; Owen Lynch, 38-34—72; T13, Ben Conway, 35-38—73; Ben Tuthill, 36-37—73; Chuck Sullivan, 36-37—73; Dave McNally, 37-36—73; David Apuzzo, 38-35—73; Eddie Hjerpe, 37-36—73; Ken Mernick, 35-38—73; Matt Sterling, 36-37—73; Paul Quigley, 37-36—73; Shane Rice, 37-36—73.

 T23, Bill Auger, 38-36—74; Bill Forcier, 34-40—74; Darren Corrente, 36-38—74; Jason Pannone; 36-38—74; Jeffrey Salisbury, 35-39—74; Jim Stallman, 38-36—74; Ronald Varone, 35-39—74; Stephen Royer, 35-39—74; T31, Andrew Clark, 35-40—75; Andrew Maziarz, 38-37—75; Dan Blessing, 39-36—75; Dan Sheehan, 35-40—75; George Pirie, 39-36—75; Jesse DiBiasio, 38-37—75; Joe Ducharme, 37-38—75; Robert Marshalewski, 39-36—75; Thomas Kellogg, 36-39—75; T40, James Farrea, 39-37—76; Jeff Kern, 37-39—76; John Napolillo, 37-39—76; John Ruzzo, 37-39—76; Kevin Clary, 40-36—76; Matt Broome, 35-41—76.

 T40, Michael Caprio, 37-39—76; Mitchell Pozez, 35-41—76; Nicholas Caccia, 37-39—76; Rob Grossguth, 38-38—76; T50, Bob Duarte, 41-36—77; Charlie Blanchard, 41-36—77; Charlie Hayes, 38-39—77; Chris Nicynski, 38-39—77, David Dercole, 39-38—77; Ed Kennedy, 39-38—77; Jim Colucci, 41-36—77; Jonathan Pannone, 36-41—77; Larry Devoe, 39-38—77; Rick Audette, 39-38—77; Ronald Amado, 39-38—77; Sean Desilva, 38-39—77.

 T62, Alex Grimes, 42-36—78; Andrew Fiorenzano, 39-39—78; Andy Falcone, 39-39—78; Daniel Cregan, 39-39—78; David Conley, 39-39—78; George Donnell, 41-37—78; Jared Adams, 38-40—78; Jay Barrow, 39-39—78; Jeff Barba, 42-36—78; Jeff Sanders, 37-41—78; Jon Costa, 36-42—78; Mark Mazur, 42-36—78; Michael Dipietro, 42-36—78; Norbert Oliveira, 39-39—78; Skip Hingley, 40-38—78; Tim Houlihan, 39-39—78; Tom Goryl, 38-40—78; T79, Brendan Clair, 41-38—79; Chris O’Neill, 40-39—79; Dan Pilkington, 39-40—79; EJ Wholey, 41-38—79; Jeffrey Farrar, 38-41—79; Jeffrey Furtado, 37-42—79; Lionel Noel, 42-37—79; Matthew Fattore, 41-38—79; Pat Monti, 39-40—79; Peter McBride, 40-39—79; Rob Touchette, 37-42—79; Tom McCormick, 41-38—79.

 T91, Bill Campbell, 38-42—80; Bob Corio, 38-42—80; Dan Mollicone, 37-43—80; Herb Stevens, 42-38—80; Jeffrey Kafalas, 41-39—80; Jim Dickinson, 40-40—80; Patrick O’Neill, 41-39—80; T98, David Patrick, 37-44—81; Erik Manchester, 42-39—81; Herman Dacones, 42-39—81; Jim King, 41-40—81; Juliet Vongphoumy, , 39-42—81; Mike Petrarca, 38-43—81; Nick Cioe, 41-40—81; Rick Bernard, 42-39—81; Ryan Patrick, 43-38—81; Ryan Woodward, 39-42—81; Steve Sampson, 41-40—81; Steve Travis, 41-40—81; Ted Spencer, 42-39—81; 111, Rick Angeli, 42-40—82.

 T112, Andy Coughlin, 42-41—83; David Piccerelli, 39-44—83; Joseph Occhi, 40-43—83; Mark Lapin, 40-43—83; Rob Felici, 43-40—83; Ryan Hemingway, 45-38—83; Tim Smith, 41-42—83; Travis Tucker, 47-36—83; T120, Josh Padwa, 42-42—84; Mike Soucy, 47-37—84; Paul Welch, 43-41—84; T123, Alfred Gabarra, 42-43—85; Luke Hyder, 43-42—85; Neil Buffery, 41-44—85; Randy Millen, 44-41—85; T127, Karl Augenstein, 41-45—86; Lenny Devoe, 43-43—86; 129, Peter Rochford, 46-41—87; T130, Chris Dubois, 49-39—88; Chris Holland, 41-47—88; Kirby Robinson, 43-45—88; Marc Federico, 45-43—88; 134, David Bordieri, DQ.

pkenyon@projo.com