Salinetti, Slosek: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

May 24—No two players personify the give and take of golf better than local professional Jim Salinetti and Forest Park amateur Mike Slosek.

On Monday, during the first round of the Western Mass. Open at Crumpin-Fox, Salinetti was penalized for riding in a cart with his caddy, father Dick. Salinetti saw other players riding with their caddies and noticed the rules sheet didn’t say anything to the contrary.

Then a rules official approached him during his round and said, ‘You realize a caddy and a player can’t ride together?’ Salinetti responded: “I was like, ‘What? Are you kidding me?’ I thought I was disqualified. We asked the starter on the first tee if there were any restrictions with the cart and he said, ‘No.’”

He was given a four-stroke penalty and finished the tournament out of the money after rounds of 77-79, four shots back of Pittsfield’s Matt Donovan, who shot 78-74, tied for 6th and earned $650. “Not bad considering I shot a hundred,” a flummoxed Donovan joked. Billy Downes shot 1-under 143 and repeated as champion.

Donovan and Salinetti now turn their attention to the Cape Cod Open, where Salinetti is the defending champion. The first round begins May 31.

Three days after Salinetti’s Cart-Gate mishap, Mike Slosek, a former All-Berkshire standout at Hoosac Valley, became the first Berkshire County player this year to qualify for the Mass. Open. A round of 4-over 76 at Indian Ridge Country Club, in Andover, Mass, helped him take home one of 22 spots in the Commonwealth’s Open, slated for June 19-21 at Charles River Country Club.

He also exacted a bit of revenge. Twelve months ago, Slosek shot 85 in his first appearance at Mass. Open qualifying. “I wanted to make sure I peaked for (this year’s) qualifier,” said Slosek, who works for his father’s lumber company and also tends bar at Williams College. “I’ve been working hard here, 2 1/2 -3 hours every day for the past two weeks. I don’t want to falter. I can compete against these guys.”

Slosek’s performance not only netted him 60 POY points, putting him atop the early season standings, but it also continued an upward trend that began in 2004. Since then, Slosek, 25, has qualified for the Mass. Amateur (lost in a playoff to advance to match play) and finished in the top 10 of the Mass. Public Links Championship each of the past two years.

Stay tuned to The Scribe for results of Berkshire players at Mass. Open qualifying, which runs through May 31 and includes a local site at Waubeeka on May 30.

Note:

Results from the Egremont Classic have been posted in the Men section under 2006 Result. Throughout the year, refer to this section for results from all non-POY events