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Close friends Nick Minni, left, and Steve DiCarlo squared off for the Salem Country Club championship last weekend.
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Nick Minni and Steve DiCarlo hug after DiCarlo beat Minni for the Salem Country Club title last weekend.
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Hitting the Links: DiCarlo edges old friend Minni for Salem Country Club championship
Hitting the Links
Matt Jenkins
Steve DiCarlo didn't think his day could get much better after defeating Tim Clifford in the semifinals of the men's club championship at Salem Country Club this weekend.
But then he rolled into the clubhouse to find out that his good friend, former classmate at St. John's Prep and frequent playing partner Nick Minni would be joining him in the final.
"It wasn't really relieving, but it was awesome. I was so pumped for him. I think I was more excited for him than anything when he won," DiCarlo, a Peabody native and former St. John's Prep hockey standout, said. "It was actually kind of calming. It was good because I've played with Nick and know I can play with him. I knew what I had to do and I knew it was going to be a real good match from the beginning."
Getting the opportunity to relax a little was just what DiCarlo needed after winning three tight matches in his first attempt at a club championship.
DiCarlo knew his match with Minni would be another tough one, but some of the pressure was off because no matter who emerged he could be happy with the result.
In the end, DiCarlo's prediction for a close match was correct but he was able to hold off the hard-charging Minni 1-up.
"I was having so much fun playing and didn't even know what to do. I was so excited that I won," DiCarlo said. "It was a really fun experience and it was really good to win."
DiCarlo started fast, opening a 4-up advantage on the front nine, but Minni made things interesting.
"Nick battled really hard on the back nine," DiCarlo, a junior economics major at Boston College, said. "I had him dormy after 16 and he won 17. I went into 18 thinking I just had to make par and make him force him to make birdie. All I was thinking was make a couple good swings and two good putts and make par.
"It ended up working out. I had a really good drive and only had a half wedge in. The pin was up front and I put it way in the back (of the green). If you know 18 it's (green) is sloped really severely. It was a tough putt, but I snuggled it up 4-feet away, pin high. It was a really good putt."
Even though it was only DiCarlo's first crack at the club championship he felt good about the match play format.
Knowing he only had to finish in the top 16 during the first day of medal play helped, then advancing to a format that allows you to quickly foget mistakes made it easier on DiCarlo.
"Match play is a little different. You have to be aware of what the opponent is doing but stay aggressive and not too defensive," DiCarlo said. "You have to stick to your own game. On the first day of medal play I made like three or four doubles (double bogeys) and everthing else was solid. The doubles killed, but in match play if you double you only lose one hole instead of a few shots to the field. I felt good about that."
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Peter Cunningham, a former club champion at both Olde Salem Greens and The Meadow at Peabody, was at it again recently. He captured the Salem city championship at Olde Salem Greens again, taking first place with a 36-hole total of 141. Cunningham edged recent Salem High standout Wesley Koen.
Harold Demule won the A Division with John Galaris taking second. John Doyle captured the B Division, while Dick Manning placed second.
• • •
Hitting the Links, a column on North Shore golf, runs every Friday during the summer in The Salem News. Contact staff writer Matt Jenkins at 978-338-2648 or MJenkins@salemnews.com
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