What happened at the 2026 RIIL Golf Championships? Some unexpected drama
· Yahoo Sports
CRANSTON – Midway through the second day of play, the outcomes at the 2026 Rhode Island Interscholastic League Golf Championship seemed inevitable.
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The finish told a different story.
Drew MacLeod spent most of Wednesday comfortably ahead of the field, but things got a little tight over the last two holes. The La Salle junior put himself in a tough spot on the 18th green, but managed to prevent a disaster from occurring and closed out with a clutch five-footer to finish 67-75-142, good for a two-shot win over Cranston West’s Kailer Loungxay.
“I feel pretty good. I played very well [Tuesday],” MacLeod said. “[Wednesday] wasn’t as great, but I still got it done.”
Adriana Eaton was in similar position. She held a three-shot lead on the 17th tee, saw it slip to two on the 18th, then needed to make a four-footer to finish 71-77-148, besting Johnston’s Elizabeth Kue by one shot.
“I was definitely a little scared at the end,” Eaton said. “It really came down to the last hole but at the end of the day, that’s what golf is.
“You’re not always going to have your ‘A’ game, so you have to battle through with the game that you have and I did that today.”
Last year MacLeod spent the final day of the tournament chasing the leaders, catching them on the 18th hole and then winning his first state crown in a playoff. This year, MacLeod was the one being chased.
The junior’s game is unapologetically aggressive, but Wednesday MacLeod played with tremendous poise. He made a tough double bogey on the seventh hole to shoot two over on the front, but there wasn’t a soul making a move on the leaderboard to even raise the idea that he might get caught.
“It was definitely a little different,” said MacLeod of the atmosphere this year compared to last. “I definitely didn’t feel like I had to press down the stretch and make a bunch of birdies.”
As MacLeod continued to play steady, smart golf, Loungxay started to make a bid. The freshman shot even par on his front, but came up with two birdies on the back nine – including one on the par-5 17th hole – and led in the clubhouse at 74-70-144.
Things started getting interesting when MacLeod made a bogey on the very scorable par-4 16th, then followed by blocking his drive into the treeline in the right rough. MacLeod pitched himself back into play, then hit a stellar shot from 225 yards out to get a look at birdie.
MacLeod didn’t need a birdie. He needed to keep the slippery putt close and managed to do just to make a par.
Armed with a three shot lead, MacLeod found the green on 18 in two, but couldn’t have been further from the hole. With the pin front right, MacLeod had to find a way to avoid disaster. Instead of trying to make the putt or get aggressive, he hit it to a spot where he’d have a better chance at two-putting.
This was about winning, not about scoring, and it worked brilliantly. He hit his next putt to five feet and rolled it in, preventing any further drama and winning his second straight state title.
“I knew if I played it too far left, it had a chance of rolling off the green,” MacLeod said. “I played it far enough right, 15 feet uphill and gave myself an opportunity to two putt.
“… I feel like being in that situation over and over again, that’s definitely helpful. I knew I had two putts from there (to win), but I really wanted to make it.”
Last year, Eaton shot a state record on Day 1 and put it in cruise control as she won her second girls title. The senior didn’t light up the scoreboard on Tuesday, but her even-par round gave her a three-shot lead over Kue with Barrington All-Stater Claire McTaggart five shots back.
Even after a double-bogey on the par-5 13th hole, Eaton never looked to be in trouble. Pars were going to be enough and the gap bounced back between three and four over both Kue and McTaggart.
Eaton had a three shot lead on 17, but made bogey while Kue made another par. A mental mistake on her second shot prevented Eaton from reaching the green and, with Kue on in regulation, a playoff didn’t seem out of the question.
Kue was aggressive in her birdie attempt, but stepped up to make a comebacker for par she celebrated with a fist pump. All of a sudden, Eaton found herself staring down the throat of a tough four-foot putt to win the title.
If she was nervous, it didn’t show. The senior stepped up and rolled it dead center.
“Off the tee shot I was nervous. All of 18, after the tee shot, I was thinking about the tree [that protects the green] that might be in my way and I hit right into it,” Eaton said. “Over the four foot putt, nerves were definitely high but I was glad I could get it done.”
Eaton’s first title came her freshman year and she nearly had a second before giving shots away late and not being able to hold off a charge from La Salle’s Olivia Williams. Last spring was pure dominance and this year’s title showed how she learned from all of these experiences.
“I’m definitely really happy with how my career went,” Eaton said. “I had a very supportive team all four years.
“… I love wearing the Quaker and representing MB, so I’m glad I was able to get a third one for the school.”
Lost in the drama of the individual titles was the absolute dominance by La Salle in the team competition. The Rams crushed the competition, shooting a two-day total of 595 and beating Hendricken by 20 shots.
La Salle had three players in the top four, with MacLeod winning and Brent Rollo and Sam Perry finishing tied for third. Nate Jackson and Delan Phinney also had top-20 finishes to help the Rams win their fifth straight title, becoming the state’s first golf program to do so.
“We had a pretty good lead [after Day 1], probably one of the better scores our team has ever shot,” MacLeod said. “I still really wanted to get the team win because that’s a state record right here.
“I knew even if I didn’t play my greatest, my boys would still have me. It feels really good to five-peat.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Results from the 2026 Rhode Island High School Golf Championships