Valois

EAST PROVIDENCE — Brad Valois did nothing to hide his excitement about the chance to spend a week in golf heaven next month.

Valois, a URI star and two-time R.I. Amateur champion, signed his scorecard after shooting rounds of 66-68 yesterday in U.S. Amateur qualifying at Wannamoisett Country Club. As he walked away from the scorer’s table, someone asked him about going to Pinehurst, N.C., for the U.S. Amateur Aug. 18-24.

Valois broke into a wide smile.

“I can’t wait to go,” he said. “I played the Olympic Club in the 2004 U.S. Junior. That was an absolute blast playing in a place where they had so much history. It was a fantastic facility and it was great to play there. I can’t wait to go to Pinehurst.

“You don’t get a chance to play places like that very often,” he added. “It’s going to be fun.”

Valois earned the chance by making nine birdies and an eagle in the two rounds. That tied him for medalist honors and helped make it a great day for left-handed stars from URI.

Valois’ predecessor as URI’s lefty star, Ben Spitz, shared the medal thanks to back-to-back rounds of 67.

The 134 totals by the lefties were six strokes better than anyone else. The third and final available spot in the 81-player field went to Brian Higgins of Bellingham, Mass. He birdied the first playoff hole in a three-man playoff with Metacomet’s Garrett Medeiros and nine-time Massachusetts player of the year Frank Vana. They all shot 140.

Higgins had a wild day. He had spent the previous night in an emergency room where he had brought his daughter for treatment. He had only two hours sleep.

But it was the two lefties who dominated the day. Valois is back to playing like his old self again. The Toll Gate grad became the first player since Brad Faxon to win three RIGA Junior titles, then win the Amateur in both 2006 and 2007. He is coming off a disappointing season at URI.

He now works with Eddie Kirby, the head pro at Alpine, and he is having an excellent summer. Most recently, he reached the finals before losing to David McAndrew in a bid for his third straight Amateur. Kirby has helped him considerably, he said. It showed yesterday, mostly around the greens.

“I made some putts out there like I’ve never made before,” said Valois, who plays left-handed but putts right-handed. “I was one-putting just about everything out there.”

He also chipped well, including holing one for an eagle on the par-5 17th in the morning.

“I chipped everything real close. I didn’t have to make hard par putts,” he said. For whatever reason, Valois excels at Wannamoisett, perhaps the state’s toughest course.

Spitz, who is from Norwell, Mass., is just returning to competition after an outstanding career at URI. The 2006 Rhody graduate is working for a brokerage firm in Boston. He had shoulder surgery a year ago. Until he played in the Mass Am two weeks ago, he hadn’t competed in more than a year.

Yesterday, he went 2-under on his first nine holes, then played steadily much of the rest of the day. Helped by his former URI roommate, Devon Quigley, who caddied for him, he clinched a spot when he ran off consecutive birdies on 14, 15 and 16 in the second round.

While he had one of the most successful careers in URI history, the performance was noteworthy because of the problems with his right shoulder.

“I started to play a little bit in March, but it started aggravating me again. I went back to the doctor and he said it was torn up front, but the back and top were healed. I saw another doctor and got a cortisone shot. Then I saw another guy. I’ve been all doctored out.”

As it was, he took 12 Advils to get through the 36-hole day yesterday. He will do what he has to, though, to get to Pinehurst. He has played there previously in the North & South Championship, including the famed No. 2 course that will be the prime course for the Amateur.

“But I’m sure it’s going to be set up a lot differently for the Amateur,” he said. “It should be a good time. I can’t wait.”

pkenyon@projo.com