A TEENAGER has achieved the astonishing feat of sinking two holes-in-one on the same day.
James Watson, a 15-year-old Teesdale School pupil, was playing at Barnard Castle Golf Club on Sunday when he stunned other players. The golf club believes he is the youngest player to do it in the UK.
One of his playing partners, Anthony Barker, said: “I’ve Googled it and the odds against it are 167,000,000-1.”
Anthony’s dad, Tony, and fellow golfer David Moses also witnessed the incredible achievement by the slightly-built youngster, who has been playing for two-and-a half years and has reduced his handicap from 18 to 11 this year. James said: “I’m over the moon. I couldn’t believe it when the first one went in, never mind the second.
“I’ve been playing three times a week but will have to cut back now I’m back at school. I love the game and would really like to make a career out of it.”
He used a seven-iron for his first ace at the 160-yard third hole and a four-iron at the 175-yard eighth.
“They were not flukes,” he said. “They didn’t take any funny bounces or anything, they just ran straight into the hole.” But he was overcome by the shock of it all and his game fell away after scoring 22 points, four better than handicap, on the front nine holes in the Stableford competition.
No record has been found of such a young golfer achieving the two holes-in-one feat in the UK. A 16-year-old player in Northern Ireland appears to be the previous youngest in the UK, while a 23-year-old managed it in South Wales. The last recorded instance in England was by a senior golfer in Hertfordshire.
