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.”