Drinks and steaks for all as weekend golfer sinks two hole-in-ones during same astonishing round
A “weekend golfer” has beaten odds of 67 million to one to become the first ever member of his Belfast club to hit two holein-ones in the same round.
Michael Malone (38) was competing in Wednesday’s Gents competition at Belvoir Park Golf Club when he stunned everyone on the course by getting two aces — which also beat a club record held by his late father.
“There was nobody more surprised than me,” he said.
“The first one was exciting and followed by a lot of high fives, but the second one was just shocking.
“It was a pretty ordinary day up until then.”
The three handicapper is now the only member of the club whose name will be listed on the hole-in-one board twice on the same day following his mastery of the 14th and 16th holes.
“It’s even more impressive because it was two consecutive par threes,” he said.
“The 14th is 175 yards and the 16th is 200 yards so it was harder.
“I was still buzzing from the first one and as a joke I said, ‘Lads, what about another one’.”
After teeing off with his five iron Michael watched the ball bounce on the green before disappearing. It was only as he got closer that he realised it had gone in the hole.
The unlikely achievement has knocked his late father Michael’s record at the club into the long grass.
“We have an old newspaper clipping from when my dad got two hole-in-ones in two consecu- tive rounds, but this is even better,” he said.
The UK and Ireland sales director for TrackMan — a technology company which manufactures devices that allow players to analyse and perfect their swing — has only hit a hole-in-one three times in the 30 years he has been golfing.
“I’m a weekend golfer and have only had an ace once every 10 years which just shows the ridiculous odds — to get two on the same day was unbelievable,” he said.
Michael, who regularly works with professional golfers including Rory McIlroy, said the most nerve-racking moment was tallying up his scorecard.
“I ended up with a level par score,” he said.
“It was very nerve-racking tallying up the scorecard — it would have been humiliating if I ended up not making my handicap.” The club’s general manager Jim Cullen said the unique achievement has caused a lot of excitement. He said: “Everyone has been ecstatic — it’s absolutely fantastic but it cost him in the bar afterwards.”
Michael added: “It went from drinks to steaks all round after the second. If it wasn’t a weekday I would have been in a lot of trouble!”