Dartmouth's Bastoni helps lead duo to Fourball victory
It wasn’t the cleanest round of golf ever played, but it was enough to get Steve Bastoni his first ever Fourball win.
Bastoni, a longtime member at the Country Club of New Bedford in Dartmouth, along with partner Dr. Jeff Sylvia, defeated Randy Zahn and Randy Lombardi of the Back 9 Club on the 17th of 18 holes Saturday afternoon.
“I can’t tell you how we did it, but we did it,” said Bastoni, a Dartmouth resident who won for the first time in several tries at what is perhaps the area’s most prestigious golf tournament, which was held for the 85th time this year.
The tourney pins one club member and a guest from another club against other duos over the course of the week.
Silva, who plays out of The Whale in New Bedford, won for the second time, having won with his brother, Mike, in 2006.
“I’m flabbergasted,” said Silva. “I really am. We played like crap all day, we played good all week. And then we played good for five or six holes (Sunday).”
With the match even after nine, the groups halved four holes in a row, though both missed several chances to take the lead. That was until Bastoni drilled a lengthy birdie putt on the par-4 13th to put the group one hole up with five holes to play.
Then, on the par-3 15th hole, Silva made a par after hitting his first shot to within 12 feet of the cup, with Lombardi missing a par putt that could have halved the hole.
Being two down with three to play, Zahn and Lombardi were able to halve the par-4 16th hole, but it was Silva’s par on the par-3 17th that sealed the deal for the dynamic and often comedic duo.
Bastoni, 62, said he’d savor the moment, in particular because his grandchildren were there to witness it.
“It’s fun to see the grandkids out here,” said Bastoni. “It will give them something to remember me by.”
Bastoni commended his opponents, calling them “perfect gentlemen.”
“We were fortunate to come out on top,” he said.