EAST PROVIDENCE — In a battle of Southeast Conference standout freshmen from this past season, Nicholas Dunlap pulled off a remarkable rally, coming from four shots down on the back nine Saturday, June 24, to defeat Caleb Surratt on the final green to capture the 2023 Northeast Amateur Invitational championship.

Two of the top first-year collegiate players in the nation, Dunlap, of Alabama, and Surratt, of Tennessee, were paired together in the final round of the 61st playing of the event at Wannamoisett Country Club. And it was Dunlap, like Surratt one of the most heralded recruits in the freshmen Class of 2022, who held steadiest over the final 18 holes.

It all culminated when Dunlap, who qualified for last week's United States Open on the west coast at Los Angeles Country Club, made birdie from about 20 feet just into the fringe at the back of the last green, the 72nd hole of the tournament, to claim the title by one over Surratt, who's long birdie try just prior from about 40 feet missed.

Dunlap, a native of Alabama and a member of his home state Crimson Tide golf squad, finished with a four-day total of 12-under, 266, carding an impressive 3-under 66 to overtake Surratt, who led after 36 and 54 holes. Surratt, a North Carolinian who became a Volunteer in college, slumped to a 2-over, 71 Saturday, finishing at 10-under, 266 total.

"It feels great,” Dunlap said of his victory, adding of the sequence of events on the 18th green when he made and Surratt didn't, “I didn’t think he was going to miss it. I got a window and was able to capitalize on it.”

The tournament turned just after the turn when Surratt made three consecutive bogeys on holes 12-14 to go from 14-under and up four on Dunlap to tied.

The pivotal moment of the championship came at what has become the driveable par 4, 14th hole, the 365-yard dog leg right around a retention pond that is kind of easy pickings for the younger, more powerful generation of athletes now playing the game and due to equipment technology.

Surratt sailed his tee ball far and wide, into the marshy area to the right of the green. He and a host of officials and spectators were unable to find his ball. He eventually chipped his third shot about 10 feet below the back-center pin after taking a penalty stroke then missed his putt for par.

In contrast, Dunlap nearly flew the green deep. His drive hung on the back edge, about 30 feet from the cup. His eagle putt just missed, but he left himself with a gimme for birdie to reach 11-under while his playing partner dropped to the same score.

The players each made pars on 15, 16 and 17. Surratt's at the par 3 15th and par 5 17th, were quite notable after again finding trouble off the tee.

The five on 17 was superb considering his first shot went to the bottom of the six-inch deep rough to the right. Surratt's commentary on the status of his ball was an audible, "This might be the worst lie I've ever seen."

He barely advanced it to slightly lesser rough about 30 yards ahead. His third shot landed in the fringe on the left side of the green. He then chipped to within about four feet of the flag on the right, making the putt to keep pace.

Dunlap also averted near-disaster on the 17th, hooking his drive left just inside the boundary fence parallel to Pawtucket Avenue. His second went right into a lesser area of rough near the 14th tee box. He wedged to the center of the green and completed a relatively stress-free par.

Both players drove it in the fairway on the 18th, leaving themselves roughly 135 yards in on the 456-yard finisher. Surratt's approach again went left, leaving him with a 40 foot side-winder. Dunlap, as he was on the 14th, was above the hole.

After Surratt missed his birdie, Dunlap calmly drained the right-to-left breaking putt, saying a knowing, "I got this," as it tumbled into the hole. Adding a bit of insult to injury, Surratt ended up making bogey at the last, failing to convert his short par attempt after Dunlap's heroics.

For Dunlap, the Northeast Am is the biggest victory of his burgeoning career. Like Surratt, a highly decorated high schooler, he previously won the noteworthy the 2022 U.S. Boys Junior Championship individual title and was ranked as the No. 1 junior golfer in the Class of 2022 by Golfweek magazine. To conclude his first year with the Crimson Tide, he was chosen as a PING Second Team All-American.

Of his somewhat last-minute decision to fly cross-country from Los Angeles to compete in the Northeast, Dunlap said, “I actually wasn't going to play this event. It was a lot to play and get from LA to here. But I had a couple of guys convince me, told me the course was really good. This tournament is unbelievable. I’m glad I went and played."

For Surratt, winner of the inaugural Elite Amateur Series Cup last summer, the loss had to have stung. He was clearly in control of the tournament before the late-round implosion.

It started on the par 3 12th, when his tee ball found the back edge of the trap on the left side of the green. He hit a tremendous shot from the bunker, using the slop at the rear to leave his par putt about six feet from the hole, but he missed.

The par 4 13th proved a harbinger of things to come as he fanned his drive into the right rough. Again, he hit a nifty approach, a low runner that unfortunately did not stay on the green. And again, though he hit a good chip, he couldn't drain the mid-range par putt.

All the while, Dunlap went along steadily. He too found the same trap on 12, but had a much easier shot from the front of the bunker. His sand shot also worked the contours of the green to an even closer four feet, making the par putt.

On 13 after hitting a 320-yard drive on the 385-yard hole, Dunlap had a  straightforward two-putt par from about 20 feet. And on 15, his tee shot sailed towards the center of the green. His birdie putt from 12 feet dove below the hole, leaving a benign, uphill two-footer for par.

"Firstly, I'd want to thank my parents. Unfortunately, they couldn't be here, but there's no way I would be standing here without their love and support," Dunlap said upon receiving the crystal cup and donning the blue blazer for winning the championship.

He continued, "Secondly, Ben Tuthill (Northeast Amateur tournament chairman), (Bob) Ward (Rhode Island Golf Association executive director), I want to thank them for their hospitality in putting on this event. Wannamoisett Country Club, this is an unreal venue. First time playing here, and it's always going to be special for me. Rhode Island Golf Association, you guys are amazing. This event wouldn't be what it is without them. To all the staff here, the food was great. To the all the competitors, love all you guys. And I look forward to coming back next year."

Top 10 finishers
Florida native and Florida State's Luke Clanton, who entered the final round in a share of second with Dunlap, finished in third at 8-under, 266 after shooting a 1-over 70 Saturday.

Brian Stark, of California by way of the University of Texas, and Davis Bryant, of Colorado, by way of Colorado State, shared fourth at 7-under, 269.

Cole Sherwood of Vanderbilt finished sixth alone at 5-under, 271 while his fellow Commodore Jackson Van Paris and Baylor's John Keefer shared seventh at 4-under 272.

Dylan Menante, the two-time reigning NEAM champ of Nevada and heading back to the University of North Carolina this fall, in defense of his settled for a share of ninth with Georgia's Maxwell Ford. They finished with 2-under, 274 totals.

Menante got behind the proverbial 8-ball to begin the event, carding a 2-over, 71 in the first round. He shot 3-under, 66 on Day 2 then closed with 68 and 69 on the weekend.

"It definitely was the first round. I just didn't have my ball-striking," Menante, who will return to UNC for a grad year in 2023-24, said of his week. "I didn't hit it really well. So it was kind of scrappy, but I made the most of the last few rounds. I didn't have much in the tank, so I was glad to be where I finished.

"I've got the Southern (St. Simons Island, Ga., July 13-16), the Western (Glenville, Ill., July 31-August 5) and US Am (August 14-20, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.) coming up. I'd definitely want to hopefully win one of those, keep playing well and take it back into college."

Sprague Award
Stewart Hagestad, the renowned 32-year-old who's played the Northeast numerous times on his way to making seemingly biennial appearances on the U.S. Walker Cup team, won the Joseph Sprague Award for finishing as the low mid-amateur (a player 25-year-of-age or older) for the fourth time. Hagestad wound up in a share of 32nd place at 4-over, 280.

The award is named after Joseph J. Sprague Sr., the former Executive Director of the Rhode Island Golf Association and revered East Providence native and life-long resident.

A fine player in his own right, he was a State Amateur finalist in 1963 losing to Frank McBride on the first extra hole of 36-hole final at the Agawam Hunt Club, the elder Sprague taught and later became principal at East Providence High School where he also enjoyed great success as a coach of the Townies' hockey, golf and cross country programs.

In addition, he was a Wannamoisett member for half a century, where he was club champion seven times.

(Corrected, updated, June 28, 9:30 a.m.) Sprague's son, Joe Jr. who followed his father's footsteps to lead the RIGA and now works for the US Golf Association, and daughter Liz, who was among the official scorers for the event, were in attendance throughout the week.

Local results
Wannamoisett's own Bobby Leopold, the three-time State Am champ, was the only one of four players with local ties to make the 54-hole cut. He wound up in a share of 54th at 11-over, 287.

Another Wannamoisett member Tyler Cooke as well as Michael Hamilton and Kevin Blaser all missed the cut, which fell at 7-over through three rounds.