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The U.S. Senior Open provided a special homecoming for three Rhode Islanders

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The U.S. Senior Open provided a special homecoming for three Rhode Islanders


NEWPORT — Three of the state’s emissaries to the golf world came home this weekend. 

Billy Andrade, Brad Faxon and Brett Quigley all spent the last few days on the grounds at Newport Country Club. Andrade and Quigley both played in the U.S. Senior Open and made the cut. Faxon served as lead analyst for the NBC coverage and was in the booth alongside the 18th green. 

More: The Newport Country Club could not have put on a better showing for the state of Rhode Island

More: Richard Bland wins US Senior Open in dramatic finish at Newport Country Club

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It made for some nostalgia on a gorgeous Monday morning here. Sunday’s storms gave way to bright sunshine and an ideal summer day. Andrade finished his tournament at even par and Quigley checked in at 2-over. That’s a long way down the road from playing junior golf together in the 1980s. 

“Simply amazing,” Andrade said. “Everything that I imagined. It was just an unbelievable course, setting. Rhode Island, Newport — it just makes me feel very proud.” 

“Just an incredible week,” Quigley said. “The show coming to town here and coming to Rhode Island was fantastic. I thought Rhode Island and the golf course showed incredibly well.” 

Andrade got up and down for par at the 18th, pitching onto the green from about 50 yards and coaxing home a quick downhill putt. He qualified for this tournament thanks to his place on last year’s PGA Tour Champions money list, and his appearance here kicked off three straight weeks at his Bristol home. Andrade has played in the Walker Cup, at the Masters, in 18 editions of The Players Championship but none of his previous weeks were like this one. 

“It’s pretty cool,” Andrade said. “At 60 years old I’ve been doing this my whole adult life. To have a tournament like this at this stage of my career is real special.” 

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Andrade came firing out of the gates with a 6-under 64 before the venue showed its teeth. Only 30 players broke par here this week, and only 20 finished within 10 shots of the pace set by winner Richard Bland and runner-up Hiroyuki Fujita. Varying winds and the rolling seaside landscape proved a challenge all the way into a dramatic finale. 

“I think this golf course stacked up great,” Andrade said. “I haven’t heard one complaint from one player, and that’s odd. Usually there’s somebody who’s not happy.  

“I think it would be awesome to come back here.” 

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Quigley shot par or better in each of his first three rounds before closing with a 74. A pair of bogeys in the challenging morning conditions cost him a higher finish, including into the wind at the uphill par-4 18th. The majority of the field that finished on this extra day needed something more than an iron approach to have a chance of reaching the putting surface. 

“It has to (come back), it absolutely has to,” Quigley said. “I think it showed well. I think the USGA had a great championship.” 

Quigley has won tournaments as far away as Morocco and posted top-10 finishes at each of his last two PGA Tour Champions majors in 2023. He planned to visit the beach with his family later on Monday and will remain on vacation away from his Florida home for a few days. Quigley played in the group behind Andrade during his fourth round and was stealing a glance or two at his old friend throughout both days. 

“We were kind of looking at each other and smiling,” Quigley said. “Just thrilled to be part of the whole thing.” 

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Newport hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2006 and waited 18 years to stage its next USGA event. It was the 1,001st for the organization — the first was the U.S. Amateur in 1895. Senior Open locations are currently booked through Spyglass Hill in 2030, but the USGA has openings to fill in 2031, 2033-37 and 2039-41. 

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25 



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Rhode Island

CRMC asks RI Superior Court to force Quidnessett Country Club to take down rock wall

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CRMC asks RI Superior Court to force Quidnessett Country Club to take down rock wall


The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) filed a counterclaim against Quidnessett Country Club in Providence County Superior Court Tuesday. It wants a judge to force the North Kingstown country club to remove the 600-foot stone wall built without permission roughly three years ago.



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Why a Taylor Swift wedding might shut down Westerly streets

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Why a Taylor Swift wedding might shut down Westerly streets


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  • The potential wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, presents a significant logistical challenge.
  • Transporting celebrity guests would likely occur in three phases: from airports, to wedding events, and back to airports.
  • A large, out-of-state limousine company would probably be needed to handle the transportation for the high-profile event.
  • Using large coach buses would be necessary to move guests to wedding activities and ease traffic in the small village.

As Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce eye possibly getting married at her Watch Hill, Rhode Island, mansion, The Providence Journal is surveying various wedding vendors about what it would take for the Ocean State to host a wedding befitting the most popular woman in the world.

Imagine a crowd of A-list celebrities descending on the village of Watch Hill in Westerly this summer to attend the wedding of mega celebrity Taylor Swift and football star Travis Kelce.

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To Chuck O’Koomian, who owns Airline Express Limousine and Car Service with his wife Ginny Cauley, it’s like a scene out of a horror movie.

“It’s gonna be a logistical nightmare,” O’Koomian told The Providence Journal.

How will guests arrive at Taylor Swift’s wedding in Westerly?

While Swift has not announced when or where her wedding will be, O’Koomian talked about what would be involved in getting a large celebrity crowd to the wedding, if it were held at her Bluff Avenue mansion, the nearby Ocean House resort or the Watch Hill Chapel, where Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo tied the know with football player Christian McCaffrey in 2024.

O’Koomian, who has provided transportation for comedian Jay Leno, who has a home in Newport, said there would be three distinct phases of ground transportation:

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  1. Getting people from airports to their hotels
  2. Getting people from their hotels to the wedding activities
  3. Getting them back to the airports

The middle phase, delivering people to wedding activities, very well may not be just a one-day affair. Many say Swift won’t have a wedding day; they’re expecting a wedding week.

While some guests, especially those in New York or Connecticut, would probably just have their drivers bring them to Westerly, others would fly in by private jets, probably landing at Westerly State Airport or Quonset State Airport, whose military runway is long enough to handle larger jets. From there, guests would need a ride to where they are staying.

What Westerly residents have to say

Folks in Westerly have surmised that, even if it’s not the site of the ceremony or reception, the Ocean House, along with its sister property the Weekapaug Inn, plus several rented, private mansions would be needed to accommodate guests.

O’Koomian expects that a large limousine company – such as Boston Corporate Coach or Carey Limousine, in Massachusetts, or Hy’s Limousine, in Connecticut – with more than 120 cars each, would get the contract to serve Taylor Swift’s wedding. “There’s not even 120 cars in Rhode Island, all the companies combined,” he said, adding that, as a subcontractor, he would hope to get a piece of the business.

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Could a fleet of private cars filled with stars snarl traffic in Westerly?

This first phase of local transportation would involve many trips of smaller parties. “They may come in two, three, four at a time,” he said.

While that is suitable for limousine service, getting from hotels to the ceremony, reception and other events, would require a different strategy for that second phase. “It’s like they’re transporting a football team,” he said.

That would mean “coaches,” the upscale version of buses. They would ease the traffic burden that would be created by limousines ferrying some 300 wedding guests around the tiny village of Watch Hill.

“It’s gonna take a lot of coordination if it’s Westerly,” O’Koomian said. “They’re going to have to shut down half the city. Police would have to shut down streets.”



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Rhode Island man crashes into house in Raynham after apparent medical episode

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Rhode Island man crashes into house in Raynham after apparent medical episode


A car crashed into a home in Raynham Tuesday afternoon.

Police said they responded to a report for a vehicle that crashed into a home shortly before 1 p.m. on Broadway Street.

Officers at the scene said they found a sedan that had crashed into the lower brick portion of the home.

Investigators said a man from Rhode Island appeared to suffer from a medical episode before leaving the roadway and crashing into the home.

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Police said the driver suffered non life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Boston Medical Center – South in Brockton.

Officers said the home was empty at the time of the crash.

The Raynham Building Department responded to assess the home for structural damage.

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The crash is under investigation.



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