By Dalton Balthaser
WARWICK – Larry Lafauci, Jr. was visibly emotional as Tom McCormick walked over to him and hugged him while Lafauci, Jr.’s head was clenched between the pit of Tom’s left elbow that acted as a clenched vice.
It was during that moment where Lafauci, Jr. had an immediate flashback to when he was seven years old, and he and McCormick met for the first time while walking the fairways of Triggs Memorial Golf Course in Providence with their fathers.
McCormick had just two-putted for birdie from 20 feet on No. 18 (par 5, 544 yards) at Valley Country Club to put them in position to win the 72nd Rhode Island Golf Association Four-Ball. They just needed to see if Wannamoisett Country Club’s Tyler Cooke and Bobby Leopold would finish with a birdie and eagle to tie them.
Once the victory was confirmed, the friends of more than 30 years shared a moment they won’t soon forget behind the final green thinking about all that has led up to this instant.
“I consider Tom to be like my brother,” said Lafauci, Jr., 40, of Cranston. “With all of the struggles that I have gone through in the game, Tom was always the first one there to lend a hand and motivate me to keep playing.”
“It’s one thing to win an event and it’s one thing to win it with someone you grew up with,” said McCormick, 41, of Warwick. “To get this done with someone you care about means more, no question about it.”
Lafauci, Jr. and McCormick, aided by a red-hot front-nine, claimed the #RIGAFourBall at Valley (par 72, 6,458 yards) Thursday.
They finished at -13 after a 65 in the final round which was two shots clear of Wannamoisett Country Club’s Davis and Brett Chatfield at -11.
“I texted Larry last night and told him we were going to commit to a process,” said McCormick. “We wanted to focus on the process not the results. If we focused on the process, we would get the results.”
It worked.
They started 4 under through the first five holes. McCormick birdied Nos. 2 (par 5, 593 yards), 3 (par 4, 359 yards) and 5 (par 5, 494 yards). Lafauci, Jr. birdied No. 4 (par 4, 373 yards). Lafauci, Jr. added two more red figures on Nos. 7 (par 4, 378 yards) and 9 (par 4, 387 yards).
But the hole of the day wasn’t one that included a circle on the card. It was a clutch par save by Lafauci, Jr. when McCormick was in jail over the green on No. 11 (par 4, 360 yards).
Lafauci, Jr. hit a beautiful pitch from 20 yards short of the green that rose up to the top tier of the green and rested three feet from the hole. He curled in the downhill slider to keep all the hard work intact.
“I told Larry it was on him, and he delivered,” said McCormick. “Once he made that par, I was fired up. I knew we were in it, and we had to keep going.”
However, their momentum flatlined on the way home. They didn’t make a birdie on the back until McCormick’s on No. 18. But that was all they needed.
“Tom had ice in his veins on No. 18,” said Lafauci, Jr. “He roped a drive and smoked a 3-wood. Two perfect shots when we needed them.”
The Kirkbrae Country Club members also have the #RIAmateur on their mind with the 116th edition being held at their home club in July. Lafauci, Jr. earned a spot through Pre-Qualifying at Foster Country Club on Monday and McCormick won the Amateur the last time it was at Kirkbrae in 2005.
They’ll quickly turn from friends to foes.
Just like when they met at Triggs and Tom holed a 40-yard chip on No. 7 for birdie, the first hole they ever played together.
“We’ve been competitive ever since,” said Lafauci, Jr. “That won’t ever change. Sharing this moment with him is the best feeling of my life.”