A Mass. Open to Remember

Jim Salinetti may have lost last week’s Mass. Open in a pressure-packed six-hole playoff, but to the nearly 500 spectators who watched on with baited breath, everyone left Vesper Country Club a winner, including Salinetti.

Anyone who has ever gone to any golf tournament of any consequence always hopes the contest itself will exceed the pre-packaged hype. Like Palmer’s rally from seven behind to win the 1960 US Open at Cherry Hills. Or when Jack Nicklaus rewound the hands of time with a final round 65 to win the Masters at age 46.

The truth of the matter is that most tournaments fail to provide any more excitement than you would get from watching your neighbor mow his lawn.

That’s what made Wednesday’s final round of the Mass. Open so special.

Clutch putt after clutch putt, one improbable escape after another, Eric Egloff and Jim Salinetti captivated awed onlookers who didn’t dare let their eyes wander for one moment.

Amidst those gazing eyes, Dick Salinetti, Jim’s father, had to wonder if he would ever see his son contend again. After all, his last three years as a professional produced the type of plummet commonly associated with a B-52 emergency-landing pattern.

“It was difficult watching him struggle for the past two-and-a-half years,” said the elder Salinetti, who is now retired from his post as Lee High principal.  “To watch him miss cut after cut after cut, we just felt for him because we knew how seriously he takes his golf. You never knew what was going to happen. Hopefully what he’s doing now puts him on the right track.”

Dick Salinetti’s stomach had to be turning more than a washer on spin cycle during the final round, but he internalized his jangled emotions and managed to steer clear from the eye of the action. The rest of the gallery, however, had more to say than Johnny Miller following each shot (Shocking, I know.).

“Same spot, every time,” one onlooker shouted as the machine-like Egloff positioned his tee shot on the sixth playoff hole, the 18th, within five yards of where he had been the previous two times.

The most memorable outburst from the gallery came on the third playoff hole. Salinetti appeared doomed after hitting his second shot on the par-5 18th to a location the members didn’t even know existed---in a flowerbed 30-yards left of the green. After hitting a miraculous pitch under branches, over a bunker, and to a pin tucked tighter than a catholic school boy’s collared shirt, he then made his 25-feet birdie putt for an escape that would have made magician David Blaine blush.

Strangers gave high-fives to each other, heads shook in disbelief, and Egloff proceeded to can his seven-foot birdie to extend the match.

Not that anyone minded.

Three hours earlier, I had my own moment that made my head shake in disbelief.

While following Salinetti’s group on the 12th hole, the leaderboard behind the green reported that Matt Donovan had gone to 6-under through 15 holes, leaving him just one shot off the lead.

Should I stay with Jimmy, who was also at 6-under? Or sprint to the 16th hole, on a bum ankle, and watch Donovan finish with a flurry?

I felt like I was six-years-old again, deciding whether or not I should run down the street to catch the ice cream truck or spare my father’s nickel collection and just eat an ice cream sandwich from the freezer.

I decided to chase the ice cream man and catch up with Donovan. Unfortunately, information during the final round of the Mass. Open traveled slower than snail mail before UPS begged the question, “What can Brown do for you?” I feebly ran to the 16th tee only to find out Donovan’s group had already finished.

Deep sigh.

Breath panting, ankle stinging, I returned to Salinetti’s group on the 14th hole and made a religious vow to the Golfing Gods that I would not leave his group ‘til death do us part, or until the tournament had been decided.

Whichever came first.

Even Egloff, who thwarted defeat on several occasions, was also reveling in the moment. 

After escaping the fourth playoff hole with a halve, an exasperated Egloff stepped onto the tee of the 16th hole and said, “Let’s play another, huh Jimmy?”

One minute later, after snap-hooking his tee shot into a hazard well left of the fairway, Egloff asked his caddy, Jeff Seavey, a teaching professional at the Samoset Resort (ME), “Wanna’ teach me how to hit a cut, pro?”

Strangely, that same cut shot Egloff hoped to produce was the same ball flight Salinetti struggled to eliminate for the better part of the last three years while retooling his swing.

Finally at one with his golf swing, all signs are pointing to bigger and better things for Salinetti, but his performance last week is made all the more impressive considering he wasn’t even sure he would play golf this year.

“I was close to not playing this year,” said Salinetti.  “Not really because I didn’t want to. I just couldn’t afford it. But working that small job in the winter (at Breakers Resort in West Palm Beach, FL) made me realize how fun it was to play.”

Thank you, Breakers Resort. And thank you, Jim Salinetti.