A hole-in-one is sadly something few golfers will ever experience, but big-hitting Forbes player Peter Nixon put his name in the FGA record books last Sunday with a miracle shot on one of the course’s toughest holes.
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Playing in the Holden Scramble, a four-person ambrose played at courses all over the state, Nixon put his tee shot on the par four 4th hole in the cup, to the astonishment and delight of his playing partners.
The shot earned the foursome, also including Peter’s dad Richard and friends Andrew Cogswell and Christine Davies, an ‘albatross’ (three under par on any one hole) and helped book them a ticket to the regional final of the Scramble.
Forbes Advocate golf scribe Steve Grallelis said while quite a few have ‘aced’ the local course’s par three holes and even done the same on the par four 5th, no one has done so on the 4th, rated the 7th hardest hole and featuring a ‘dog-leg’ fairway, water hazard and trees protecting a sloping green.
“Undoubtedly this is the first albatross or hole-in-one on the 4th hole,” Grallelis said.
“A few eagles have been recorded there. Most albatrosses are on the 5th or 6th.”
Peter said he and playing partner Andrew Cogswell teed off after Richard Nixon had already put the team in good position for their approach to the green.
“Dad hit a good shot to the corner [of the 4th fairway] so Andrew and I just looked at each other and thought we may as well have a go [at the green],” he said.
With a good chance of finding the water, both golfers picked old battered balls from their bags and lined up.
Cogswell went first and appeared to clear the hazard and Nixon’s attempt was similarly effective but on a slightly better line.
“Andrew found his ball just near the path over the bridge but I couldn’t find mine,” he said.
“After about five minutes searching Andrew said ‘we may as well look in the hole, that’s the only place it could be’.”
The distance from tee to flag, as the ball flies, was 325 metres on Sunday and Nixon said even he would rarely cover that distance.
“That’s everything in your favour - the wind behind you, the bounce of the ball and everything,” he said.
Forbes golf pro Daniel Newton will now travel with the four locals to play in a regional final of the Holden Scramble, at a date and course to be determined.
He said he had not heard of an albatross on a par four at any of the courses he has worked at, however professional Richard Green did play a similar miracle shot at the Victorian PGA earlier this year.
Steve Grallelis said hole-in-ones in Forbes are mostly achieved at the 3rd, 18th and 9th, but rarely on the 1st.
