Welch follows Adamonis’ vision to Pro Ranks

Quincy, Mass. (Oct. 4)--Three weeks ago, Two-time Walker Cup member Lee Williams made his long-anticipated debut at the New England Golf Tour’s Captain’s Open in Brewster, Mass.

Now, it’s Michael Welch’s turn.

Welch, who helped lead Johnson & Wales (Fla.) to victory in the National Minority College Golf Championship in 2004, will erase the amateur asterisk from his name during the New England Golf Tour’s season-ending event at Granite Links in Quincy, Mass, which, ironically enough, is Welch’s hometown.

A two-time New England Amateur champion, Welch’s resume also includes appearances in the 2004 U.S. Amateur as well as the 2003 and 2005 U.S. Public Links championships.

Although Welch’s collegiate golf eligibility has expired, he won’t graduate from Johnson & Wales until November, where he will receive a degree in sports entertainment as part of the school’s golf management program.

The game of golf, perhaps more so than any other sport, is an individual endeavor. The bulk of Welch’s past, current and future success lie squarely on his shoulders—No one else’s.

His progression through each plateau of the game, however, can be reduced to a common denominator.

Following two successful seasons at Central Connecticut State, where Welch led the Blue Devils to a Northeast Conference crown and compiled several individual victories, he transferred to the steadily-rising Johnson and Wales University, which was in the early stages of a complete overhaul, courtesy of Dave Adamonis, of Cumberland, RI.
.
Adamonis soon turned water into wine, so to speak, developing a small, relatively obscure school into a national college golf power, with Welch playing a leading role.

Spurred by Welch’s arrival, Adamonis then lured Jim Renner, this year’s New England Amateur champion, from golfing Mecca Oklahoma University. He was joined by John Stoltz, who beat several Tour players to win this year’s MET Open, and Adam Scrimenti, the low individual in the National Minority College championship.

Just last summer, the trio of Renner, Scrimenti and Stoltz received exemptions onto the Tour through a partnership between Adamonis and Tour Director Andrew Dearborn.
 
 “There’s great competition within the team,” said Welch, whose most recent crack at the pro ranks resulted in an unsuccessful attempt to Monday qualify for the Deutsche Bank Championship. “You’re always playing for something, which is great.”

Recently, “something” has been national titles. This spring, the quartet led J & W to a dominating 28-stroke victory in NAIA National Championship, trumping their victory in the 2004 National Minority College championship. In July, they had four players advance to the U.S. Public Links Championship, highlighted by Jim Renner’s march to the third round, where he fell to a buzz saw named Michelle Wie.

With NAIA All-Americans Renner, Scrimenti and Stoltz less than eight months from gradution, Welch’s progression from the amateur to pro ranks figures to be the first of several for the Johnson & Wales program.

Based out of North Miami, Fla., the school’s primary ties can be traced to New England. Renner, like Welch, hails from Massachusetts and Stoltz is from New York. Adamonis himself went to Providence College, and worked as an English teacher in the Rhode Island school system for years.

Before he assumed the reigns as Johnson & Wales’ Director of Golf five years ago, he helped launch the U.S. Challenge Cup in 1983. A junior circuit based in Rhode Island, it conducts more than 40 events, and the Challenge Cup’s annual player of the year receives an exemption into the prestigious Northeast Amateur.

Past alumni include current PGA Tour rookie James Driscoll, New England Tour young gun Mike Carbone, and Mike Welch, who cultivated his game competing on the AJGA’s rival circuit.

The Challenge Cup “got my feet wet,” Welch said. “It introduced me to a lot players I’m still friendly with now. I always know someone. So I can talk to them whenever. They helped me out with the decision [to turn pro], what’s going to change, how to prepare differently.”

“He introduced me to tournament golf,” Welch said of Adamonis. “And I’m still with him. He’s meant a lot.”

In order to boost publicity for the Challenge Cup, Adamonis and Bruce Vittner, who also taught at Johnston Senior High School (RI), co-founded Bay State (1996) and Ocean State Golf Magazines (1990). Both publications were managed by Golf Publications, Inc., of which Adamonis is the President and CEO.

“It was always exciting,” said Vittner, who fondly recalls spending many long hours preparing each issue before and after school. “It was a little bit overwhelming a few days before publication…I never would have been in the golf publication business without him.”

Bay State Magazine dissolved in 2000, once Adamonis took the post at Johnson & Wales, but each issue of Ocean State Golf continues to devote significant space to the exploits of golfing prodigies such as Welch, who parlayed his talents into a college scholarship.

Relocating to Florida drastically reduced Adamonis’ involvement in the Challenge Cup, which he passed on to his son, Dave Adamonis, Jr., the current Executive Director.

With the foundation already in place, Adamonis Jr. has elevated the Challenge Cup to new competitive heights, and has managed to raise $90,000 for area charities in the process.

Adamonis, Sr., however, again found success through the use of his creative instincts.

Maintaining the proper balance between academics with athletics, Adamonis has designed a golf management program that maximizes individual growth—on and off the golf course. A regular week during school includes a full slate of classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays call for practice and/or tournaments.

The result:

Four Region XIV championships. Six NAIA All-Americans in just four years. And two national championships (NAIA and National Minority College).

From his inception of the U.S. Challenge Cup to his development of a college golf powerhouse, Dave Adamonis helped Mike Welch realize his golf aspirations—step for step.

The next step begins Wednesday.