GARDEN CITY, NY – We interrupt the week’s work from Casa de Campo to bring you a
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(Is that how to do it ESPN?)
“The Big Mu,” “Moose,” or just plain Pat Mucci, won medalist honors at the Garden City Golf Club members qualifying tournament with a 2-over 75, leading the Green Coated members into their 103rd Travis Invitational beginning today.
“I’m surprised it held up,” said Mucci, who credited recent sessions with Hank Haney as triggering a resurgence in his game.
“Hank is nothing short of fantastic. He also had me remember what Ben Hogan said about how to manage your round: 1) no penalty shots; 2) if you miss the green in regulation, make sure you get on the green with your next shot; and 3) no three putts. And that was the story of my round – I didn’t have any penalties, when I missed the green, I got back on, and I didn’t have any three putts.”
On the front nine of the par-73 golf course, Mucci balanced three birdies against three bogeys. “I birdied 1, 5, and 9,” Mucci explained, taking advantage of the shorter par-4s on the outward nine. He made a “sloppy” bogey at the par-5 fourth, as well as bogeys at the difficult sixth and eighth holes. He bogeyed two holes coming home, including the difficult 15th, one of the great par-4s in golf.
Met Golf Association star and Huntington Country Club member Joe Saladino opens his title defense of the Travis this morning. The top 16 medalists today will square off in single-elimination match play for the weekend.
