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PASTA MAN OWNS 2018 MASTERS…
ARTIE’S ARMY EXPLODES FOR 30
POINTS…
(L-R) Steve Socci (2018) and Kevin McCormick (2016)
STAFF WRITER Professor Go Go Jones
(EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ) – Back in the last
weekend of April, Artie’s Army exploded for 30 points
at the 36-hole, two-day, 31st Annual Garibian Master’s
at Ballamor Golf Club. Artie’s Army’s, Steve Socci, of
Staten Island AKA “The Pasta Man” captured a
bookends victory wining the Low Net and Gross Titles,
and hauled in a staggering 11 points, for his team. In
addition to Socci’s stellar performance, the Army fielded
four players in the Top 20 Individual Net grabbing Top
Finish points. Mr. Socci who posted the field’s best net
over the weekend at 67-74-141 (-3) was accompanied by
teammates Wesley Goldberg and Sgt. Major Eddie Neas
who both finished tied for 7th at Net 146 (+2), and
Tournament Sponsor Christopher Leon Garibian who
finished 11th at Net 147 (+3). These Four Horseman of
the Army, alone, had accounted for 25 ½ of the 30 point
barrage at Ballamor. The 30 points that Artie’s Army
recorded at this year’s Garibian Masters was the second
highest team point total accumulated in Golf Mission
history. Back in 2014, at the Garibian Masters at Harbor
Pines, the Moonshiner’s William “Bad Ass” LaRiccia
had a bookends win, also, and his team collected a
record setting 31.25 points.
In the last three year’s that the Garibian Master’s format
has featured Individual Net against the entire field, in 2
of those 3 contests, the Low Gross Champion, also, has
won the Low Net Crown as Kevin McCormick did so in
2016. If you give it some thought, that makes a lot of
sense since over two days of competition, the odds are
pretty stacked against a higher cap. In last year’s first
round when Ricky Meyer, a 24-handicapper, was in the
lead after posting a net 67, I recall having a conversation
with Thomas “Too Tall” Redburn, and we both felt his
chances of winning 36-hole event, the following day
were very slim. He later would finish in 8th Place in the
2017 Contest. This year, Captain Gianni Incontro, of
Hackathon, a 25-capper, was in the lead after Saturday’s
round with a Net 63, and a 4-stroke lead over Steve
Socci at Net 67. Once again I had those same
premonitions about Gianni this year that I had for Ricky
Pink Pants in 2017. What are the odds of a higher cap
having two back-to-back strong rounds, under those
pressures? But this year, Gianni Incontro nearly pulled it
off. It went down to the last hole, and he needed to sink
a 6-footer to send the Master’s to overtime. He missed
but afterwards had no regrets; he really enjoyed playing
in that final group for the first time, and the experience
he had gained from it.
Mr. Socci’s claimed, “The weekend started with Sgt.
Major giving me a pep talk as he always does. Except
this time he stressed the match. The match, the match,
the match… he stressed. So that’s what I concerned
myself with even though my game has been suffering as
of late. And let’s just say, that isn’t my usual strategy. I
wouldn’t call it my A-game on Saturday but lucky at
times when it was needed. Like chipping in from off the
green and making a 75-foot bomb which always seems
to demoralize an opponent. My opponent didn’t play
well and I got the win, and having never concerned
myself with the score, it resulted in adding up to 2 over
par. Thanks Eddie! Your method worked.”
“Sunday started with the same speech from the
Sergeant. On the first tee I met Gianni Incontro for the
first time. I instantly sensed he was nervous when he
said “I’m guessing this isn’t your first time in this
situation” meaning being in the last group of a
tournament and he wasn’t even my opponent for the day.
My opponent, Jim Ruesch, a newly recruited member is
a welcome addition to the team I personally love to hate
- The Slicers. Jim showed he has game but was got
some bad breaks. Sorry to hand you a loss as a new
member. Gianni showed his nerves more when I asked
him at the turn what he scored. His reply was “you
probably got me already”. Which prompted my response
of that I had to shoot 22 shots better than his gross score
just to catch him. Well, Ballamor was a beast on
Sunday with cooler temps and a stiff swirling
unpredictable wind all day. At the end when all added up
to 81 shots it was 23 shots better.
It’s been a while since my last win in the Mission but
#14 was SWEET!!! Sorry GI, your time will come.”
Steve Socci picked up his 14th
Career Golf Mission
Tour Low Gross title posting a 74-81-165 as his two
day total topped the 102-player field. Dennis “The
Beantown Bonmber” Norton, of Money Shot,
finished Runner Up for the Low Gross Title posting
an 82-76-158, which had him trailing the leader by
3-strokes. Mr. Norton had a comment about his
weekend play, “82 on Saturday and 76 on Sunday. The
difference: I had to play with Dave Knight on Saturday.”