The Perfect Shot – The Perfect Fluke – No, the Perfect Shot!
Back in the late 40’s, before anyone was born, Claude Harmon made a Hole-in-ONE on the 12th hole at Augusta! This story was told to me by Mr. Harmon one day when I was a young Apprentice in Houston. He was playing a practice round with Ben Hogan – how intense was Mr. Hogan on the course…
Ben Hogan, who had four holes in one (none in competition) during his legendary career, would say. "I would've had more," Hogan once said, "but I rarely aimed at the flag. I aimed at the spot where I had the best birdie opportunity." The best Hogan hole-in-one story is from the 1947 Masters, at which he was paired with Claude Harmon during a practice round. On the celebrated 145-yard 12th, Harmon knocked his tee shot into the cup. As the crowd cheered wildly, Hogan remained stoic and put his tee shot eight feet from the cup. The roar for Harmon's feat increased as the players approached the green, but Hogan still said nothing. When Harmon lifted his ball from the cup, there was another cheer. Hogan studied his line. After he had made the putt for a birdie, and after he had hit his drive on 13, Hogan finally spoke.
"You know back there on the 12th hole...."
"Yes?" said Harmon.
"I've been thinking. I believe that's the first time I ever birdied that hole."
Ben Hogan, who had four holes in one (none in competition) during his legendary career, would say. "I would've had more," Hogan once said, "but I rarely aimed at the flag. I aimed at the spot where I had the best birdie opportunity." The best Hogan hole-in-one story is from the 1947 Masters, at which he was paired with Claude Harmon during a practice round. On the celebrated 145-yard 12th, Harmon knocked his tee shot into the cup. As the crowd cheered wildly, Hogan remained stoic and put his tee shot eight feet from the cup. The roar for Harmon's feat increased as the players approached the green, but Hogan still said nothing. When Harmon lifted his ball from the cup, there was another cheer. Hogan studied his line. After he had made the putt for a birdie, and after he had hit his drive on 13, Hogan finally spoke.
"You know back there on the 12th hole...."
"Yes?" said Harmon.
"I've been thinking. I believe that's the first time I ever birdied that hole."
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On the Senior Tour, the Champion’s Tour as it is known today, 78 professionals tee it up each week for more cash than they probably earned on the regular tour. As if that wasn’t enough to play for, John Bland told me that they all paid $100 when one of them made a hole-in-one. Blandie has carried the reputation of being a little tight with his cash – some say that most of it is buried in the back yard. I know it’s not true! But Blandie, was it necessary to make 4 (four) ACES in one year on the tour just to get that extra $30, 800! Blandie has made about 30 perfect shots in all – yeeowzzzeeeerrrrs!
Last year, in a play-off as darkness was settling in, Jonathan Byrd returned to the par-3, 17th hole with the hope of beating two others to win the tournament:
It's bad enough if you make a hole-in-one and nobody is around to see it. Even worse: it's so dark, you can't see it yourself.
| Winning the golf tournament takes the edge off that, to be sure. The wide-open irises of the television cameras made the desert dusk look much brighter than it really was at the par-3 17th at TPC Summerlin. So Jonathan Byrd had no first-hand idea what he had done on the fourth hole of his playoff with Cameron Percy and Martin Laird. Plenty of fans were delighted to tell him, but it took a stunned Byrd a little while to take it all in. Later, he broke it down for the press. "[F]or me it was a 6-iron, kind of back in my stance, and I tried to play more of kind of a sweeping draw into that left pin and curve it over to it. It started perfect, it turned perfect, and it was coming right down [on] the flag. I thought I hit it too good. I thought I hit it too far, and I couldn't see anything. But to hear the reaction as it went in, I was just in shock." |
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Last week, in the Dubai Classic, Alvaro Quiros, won the event - $400, 000+.
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But, it was a hole-in-One on the 11th hole that turned his day around. After leading early, Alvaro made a triple bogey and it looked like all was lost. Then, fate and a perfect shot changed everything. “BMT” – big match temperament – it’s more than that!
I have had three official Aces and all came at different courses in SA… Fancourt, Pezula (on the Par-4, 17th) and on the 17th here. Yesterday, I nearly holed out on the 4th – leaving only a tap-in. But, not only did I fail to make the ONE, I also lost the hole! Denise Perry holed out from off the green for a TWO, Nett, ONE! Imagine if I had made the ace and only tied the hole. Later in the round, after the ladies had properly ‘disposed’ of us, my partner, David Mills did find a way to win the hole – he played the perfect 4-iron – into the cup on the 14th! It was his 8th perfect shot and about the 10th I had witnessed… really cool! Well done, David! |
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If you haven’t felt the absolute pleasure that comes from playing the perfect shot, hang in there, it will probably come when you least expect it!
Please get a picture and send it to me when you find the bottom of the cup.
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Road Trip – Zwartenbosch! Let’s Support those who support us! Next Wednesday! Nice Letters! They keep us trying harder!!! |
| Dear Liezl, Jeff, Ryan and Staff, Well where to begin is the difficult part. Liezl & Jeff on behalf of Woman’s Golf SA and the Players I would like to take this opportunity to thank you both and all your staff who were involved in making our stay at St Francis such a pleasurable one. |
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Unfortunately for us we were so spoilt that wherever we go from now on we are going to find it very difficult to match, so hopefully we will bring another camp your way in the very near future.
Ryan, to you the Pro Shop staff, your outside and range Staff thank you for all you did it was amazing. To the Food & Beverage staff from the waiters to the barman and to all involved I just wish I could wrap them all up and bring them back to Kingswood with me. To Angie and Bradley thank you for the stunning food each day and thank you for all the efforts that went into our braai, the pudding was a hit as you can imagine.
Jeff and Liezl you can be extremely proud of your team and the entire operation it runs so smoothly and not one staff member looks unhappy or flustered what a great achievement for you both.
Regards,
Val Holland
Director of Golf
Kingswood Golf Operations
Note: Val is a fantastic teacher and I’m really “chuffed” that she and her team chose to be here! Below is a letter from a local group who are really trying to make a difference in St Francis Bay…take note!
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