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First
recorded hole-in-one
The earliest recorded hole-in-one was in 1868 at the Open Championship
when Tom Morris (Young Tom) did the 8th hole 145 yards Prestwick
in one stroke. This was the first of four Open Championships won
successively by Young Tom.
First
recorded hole-in-one with 1.66 inch ball
The first hole-in-one recorded with the 1.66 inch ball
was in 1972 by John G Salvesen, a member of the R&A Championship
Committee. At the time this size of ball was only experimental.
Salvesen used a 7-iron for his historical feat at the 11th hole
on the Old Course, St Andrews.
Consecutive
holes-in-one
John Hudson, a 25-year-old professional, achieved a near miracle
when he holed two consecutive holes-in-one at the 11th and 12th
holes (195 yards and 311 yards respectively) in the 1971 Martini
Tournament at Norwich, England.
First
hole-in-one on TV in Open Championship
In the Open Championship at Birkdale, Lionel Platts aced the 212-yard
4th hole in the second round. This was the first instance of an
Open Championship hole-in-one being recorded by television.
First
hole-in-one in Ryder Cup
Nick Faldo's ace at the 14th in the 1993 Ryder Cup at The Belfry
was only the second to be recorded in the history of the match.
The other was by Peter Butler at Muirfield's 16th hole in 1973.
Two
holes-in-one in a tournament
In the 1973 Open Championship at Troon, two holes-in-one were
recorded, both at the "Postage Stamp" hole, the 8th
hole, in the first round. They were achieved by Gene Sarazen and
amateur David Russell, who were by coincidence respectively the
oldest and youngest competitors.
History
Repeats Itself
Mrs Argea Tissies, whose husband Hermann took 15 at Royal Troon's
Postage Stamp 8th hole in the 1950 Open, scored an ace at the
2nd hole at Punta Ala in the second round of the Italian Ladies'
Senior Open of 1978. Exactly five years later on the same date,
at the same time of day, in the same round of the same tournament
at the same hole, she did it again with the same club.
Four
professionals, one round, one hole
In less than two hours play in the second round of the 1989 US
Open at Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York, four competitors
- Doug Weaver, Mark Wiebe, Jerry Pate and Nick Price - each holed
the 167 yards 6th hole in one. The odds against four professionals
achieving such a record in a field of 156 are reckoned at 332,000
to 1.
Longest
hole-in-one
In March, 1961, Lou Kretlow holed his tee shot at the 427 yards
16th hole at Lake Hefner course, Oklahoma City, USA.
Longest
hole-in-one for a Lady Golfer
The longest-recorded hole-in-one by a woman was that
accomplished in September, 1949 by Marie Robie - the 393-yard
hole at Furnace Brook course, Wollaston, Mass, USA.
Oldest
man to get a hole-in-one
In January 1985 Otto Bucher from Switzerland holed-in-one at the
age of 99 on La Manga's 130-yard 12th hole.
Most
courses played
New Yorker Ralph Kennedy reported he has played 3,625 different
courses (and counting). If you want to catch this guy, you better
start soon - playing a course a day it would take you over 10
years.
3
holes-in-one in one round
Dr. Joe Boydstone of Bakersfield, California recorded 3 holes-in-one
in a single round. The odds for a single hole-in-one are 10,331
to 1. Dr. Boydstone beat the odds b y 4,270,918,224 to 1.
Fewest
putts
It has been reported that Richard Stanwood and Ed Drysdale both
hold the record for the fewest putts in 18 holes with 15.
Longest
drive
The Guinness Book of Records records the longest drive on a regulation
course is 515 yards by Michael Hoke Austin in 1974.
Slowest
Putter
According to Golf Magazine Bernhard langer is the slowest player
in on the pro tour, with an average of 90 seconds per putt. So
if you plan to play a round with Bernhard, count on adding almost
an hour watching Bernhard Putt - assuming only two putts per green.
To
quote Lanny Wadkins, who has been noted to play some of the fastest
rounds on the Tour, "I've seen Turtles move faster than Bernhard"
Fastest
Putter
So Bernhard is the slowest, who is the fastest? Well, John Daly
steps up and putts in an average of 20 seconds.
Longest
Hole-in-one
It required a downhill hole plus a major tailwind, but Bob Mitera
recorded an ace a 444 yard hole at the Miracle Hill Country Club
in Omaha, Nebraska in 1995.
Longest
Albatros
Naval Officer Kevin Murray made a double-eagle on the 647 yard
second hole at the Guam Navy golf Club in 1982.
Fewest
Putts
Richard Stanwood (in 1976) and Ed Drysdale (in 1985) both share
the record with 15 putts on an 18 hole course.
The
longest match
The longest match ever recorded was between W.R. Chamberlain and
George New on August 1, 1922. They met at a 9 hole course owned
by Sir Ernest Wills and agreed to play every Thursday afternoon
over the course. This continued until New died suddenly on January
13th, 1938. They kept a record of the matches detailing each round,
including over two million recorded facts regarding wind direction
and playing conditions.They played 814 rounds and aggregated 86,397
strokes, of which Chamberlain took 44,008 and New 42,371. Their
last round together was halved, an appropriate end to the longest
match ever.
The
world's biggest hitter
Viktor Johansson routinely hits a golf ball more than 420 yards.
His clubhead speed has been clocked at 165 mph-most top pros measure
out at about 110 mph-and he breaks driver shafts or caves in clubheads
at least once a week. At long-driving shows, he's billed as 'Swing
Kong.'
Shooting
your age
Some golfers who live long enough may shoot their age some time
during their golfing days, but 91-year-old Marco golfer Art Lefelar
shot his age four times before he was 68 years old. In
the years that followed, Lefelar has scored his age or better
1,643 times. He carries a 14 handicap, which is unheard of for
his age.
Watch Your Speed!
After Mark Calcavecchia and John Daly completed the final round
in the Tournament Players' Championship in 2 hours and 3 minutes,
both were fined by the U.S. P.G.A. for playing too quickly. Daly
shot an 80 and Calcavecchia an 81.
Only 1 Hole in 1!
Legendary professional Harry Vardon, the greatest Open Champion
of all-time, had only one hole-in-one during his long career.
Keep
Your Eye on the Ball!
It looked good for Scotland's Raymond Russell heading into the
last round of the 2001 Compass English Open at the Marriott Forest
of Arden course. On the 17th green, and 2 holes away from a top
10 finish, he threw his ball to his caddy for cleaning. The caddy
missed the ball and it rolled into the lake. They searched the
lake but couldn't find it and the the result was a two-stroke
penalty and over £4,000 in prize money.
What
set of clubs did he use?
Tom Watson won the 1977 USPGA Championship, 1975 Open Championship,
and 1977 Open Championship with clubs that were later deemed not
to conform to R&A and USGA rules and regulations. No disciplinary
action was taken.
What
Do I Need?
Moe Norman was heading toward a new course record in a tournanment.
His caddy told him that what he needed to do to set a new mark
was to hit a driver, a 9 iron and take two putts. Moe informed
the caddy that he would hit a 9 iron off the tee, a driver off
the fairway to the green and then two putt. Which he did to set
the new course record.
A
Perfect Round?
Nick Faldo parred every hole in the final round of the 1987 Open
Championship at Muirfield.
Nice
Bounce!
After ripping a drive that hit a cart path and continued on for
787 yards in the 1992 Texas Open at the Oak Hill Country Club
in San Antonio, Carl Hooper hit a 4 iron back to the fairway and
then an 8 iron. Finished with a double bogey 6 and missed the
cut.
A
golfing safari
Two Californian teenagers, Bob Aube and Phil Marrone played golf
from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a trip of over 500 miles lasting
16 days and using over 1000 golf balls in the process. The first
six days they played along the highway.
Two
club game
In 1900 three members of a Hackensack golf club played a game
of four-and-a-half hours over an extemporized course six miles
long which stretched from Hackensack to Paterson. Despite rain,
cornfields, and wide streams, one golfer took 304 strokes while
the other two took 327 to complete the course. The players used
only two clubs, the mashie and the cleek.
Strange
Club Rules
The only golf course on the island of Tonga has 15 holes, and
there's no penalty if a monkey steals your golf ball.
In
Uganda the golfers at the Jinga Golf Club are permitted a free
drop from himppopotami footprints. They must also yield to elephants.
At
a golf club in Rhodesia, the uprising in the 70's caused an amendment
to the club rules allowing the replay of a stroke if the player
was interrupted by gunfire or an explosion.