Natick November 2018

Page 10 Natick Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com November 2018
Sports
Fasick’s Golf Success Gets Rave
Reviews In Natick & Bellingham
By Ken Hamwey
Staff Sports Writer
When Jon Fasick wins a Massachusetts
golf tournament, the
towns of Natick and Bellingham
often claim him as their “favorite
son.’’ Neither community is
wrong.
Playing strictly at the amateur
level since 1975, the 66-year-old
Fasick has won eight state championships
with the latest coming in
May when he and his twin brother
Carter teamed up to capture the
State Senior Four-ball crown. His
other laurels include winning the
Francis Ouimet Tournament, the
Mass. Mid-Amatuer Championship,
the Mass. Publinx Tournament
and taking home trophies
four times for winning the Mass.
Four-ball Championship.
Six of his eight titles have come
as a resident of Bellingham where
he and his wife Paula have lived
for 29 years. Natick, however,
enters the picture because that’s
where he grew up and learned the
basics of the sport, starting at the
age of eight. “We lived next to the
Natick Country Club and we’d
often take our dad’s clubs, sneak
onto the course late in the afternoon
or early evening and play a
few holes,’’ Fasick said. “Carter
and I really self-taught ourselves
how to play golf.’’
When he competed at Natick
High, he was the team MVP and
a Bay State League all-star. His
nine-hole average ranged from
36-38. His best match occurred as
a senior in 1970 when he shot 31
for nine holes as Natick defeated
Braintree. “It was a day where everything
I did went well,’’ Fasick
said. “I hit the fairways and the
greens nicely and made key putts.
That match was a thrill because
it was my best nine-hole score
during my three varsity seasons.’’
Fasick was Natick High’s No.
1-ranked golfer and Carter was
No. 2. But, neither was able to
enjoy a league championship
because Natick usually finished
in the middle of the pack. “it
was disappointing to watch rival
Framingham South win the
BSL title all three years,’’ Fasick
lamented. “Wally Vaughn
and Hugh O’Connor were our
coaches and both did all they
could to help the players.’’
Fasick, who had an offer to
play college golf at Brandeis University,
enrolled at Boston College
to study business. Unfortunately,
he never swung a club for the
Eagles. “In 1971, I was in a car
accident and suffered a fractured
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neck,’’ he recalled. “My left arm
was affected for two months and
I missed four months of classes.
Back in the 1970s, not many colleges
were into golf. At BC, the
program was low-key.’’
Fasick didn’t compete in college
but he still found time for golf.
He became a member at New
Seabury in Mashpee from 1971-
1976 and worked on his game. “I
was stagnant and rusty for tourney
play,’’ he said.
But, in 1983, at the age of 31,
Fasick won the Ouimet title, a 54-
hole stroke play tourney. He and
Carter teamed up for the first of
their four-ball championships in
1986. He then won the Mid-Amateur
crown in 1990, added another
four-ball victory in 1991 and
he captured the Publinx title in
1994. Two more four-ball championships
were won in 1997 and
1998 and his last state crown was
the 2018 Senior Four-ball victory.
“For the last 43 years, I’ve attempted
to qualify for amateur
tourneys,’’ Fasick said. “I didn’t
win the Mass. State Amateur
Tournament but I came close. I
was the runner-up in 1990, finished
third in 1998 and lost in the
quarterfinals three other times.
That tourney is The Masters or
the U.S. Open at the state level.’’
Playing now with a 1-handicap,
Fasick averages 71-74 for 18 holes,
a tad higher than his zero handicap
days of 1985-2000 when he
averaged 68-70 for 18. “My alltime
lowest score for 18 was a 67
at a tourney at Triggs Golf Course
in Providence,’’ he recalled.
The strengths of Fasick’s game
include “driving the ball straight,
managing the course effectively
and making short putts.’’ He says
that he and his brother both had
natural ability and “we got our
short game under control at an
early age.’’ Course management,
he emphasizes, is crucial to a golfer’s
success. “It’s about knowing
when to use a driver and when
not to,’’ he noted. “How to play
the wind is a factor, too. And,
knowing where to miss a shot is
important, based on the slope and
the severity of conditions around
the green.’’
Fasick’s top thrill as an amateur
came in 1998 when he and Carter
were trying to win their second
straight four-ball title. Their father
(Karl) was diagnosed with cancer
in 1992. The cancer was in remission
for awhile but it returned in
1998. “We wanted to repeat the
title as a gift to our dad,’’ he said.
“We won it for our biggest fan,
who died a year later.’’
The Senior Four-ball championship
that Fasick and his brother
claimed last May also was significant.
At age 55, golfers are eligible
to compete in senior tourneys.
“We played for 10 years at the
senior level but didn’t win a tourney
until this year,’’ Fasick said.
“It was a thrill because our last
title was two decades ago when
we won the four-ball tourney in
1998.’’
A fan of Arnold Palmer and
Gene Littler, Fasick relies on a
competitive philosophy that focuses
on work ethic. “Having fun
and reaching your potential are
keys but winning is the by-product
of hard work,’’ he said. “Lots
of real-life lessons can be learned
by playing golf but what the sport
has taught me is patience. The key
is to stay calm and assess your situation.
When the ball goes astray
or you bogey a hole, a knee-jerk
reaction won’t help.’’
Fasick never considered turning
pro because, as he says, “I
never shot scores low enough that
are needed at the pro level.’’ He
also cited travel for 12 months as a
burden. “I’m comfortable playing
as an amateur,’’ he said.
Still working part-time as a
Jon Fasick
commercial and residential carpet
installer, Fasick remains active
competing in senior tourneys.
And, he’s always willing to offer
advice to young and upcoming
golfers. “The way the game is now,
it’s important to hit the ball far,’’
he said. “I stress that straightening
out your shot can come later. Another
key is to practice your short
game twice as much as your full
shots. Half of golf is chipping or
being around the green.’’
A member of New England
Country Club (NECC) in Bellingham
for the last 25 years, Fasick
has won numerous club championships
there. He likes living in
Bellingham and he’s got a bias
for NECC, but he’s hoping the
day will come when Maplegate
Country Club and NECC can
host a state tourney. “I’d like to
see them get together and host a
state four-ball tournament,’’ he
said. “They’re both nice courses.’’
Fasick has had his share of
joyous moments as an amateur
golfer. He’s acutely aware of
what’s needed for success and the
kind of mindset it takes to handle
pressure.
“The journey to a victory is
exciting,’’ he said. “And, winning
provides a sense of accomplishment.
But, after a victory, I didn’t
rest on my laurels. It’s like a job.
You go back to work the next day
and look at your next challenge.
Maybe when I’m 80, I’ll look back
and enjoy the memories.’’
Jon Fasick is a class individual
and a very capable golfer. And,
he’s got two towns that claim his
as their “favorite son.’’