Hole in one — and Smith wins two new cars

ONE shot, two shiny new cars. That was Jordan Smith’s reward in yesterday’s second round of the Genesis Scottish Open at North Berwick. The Englishman fired a brilliant hole-in-one at the par-three 17th, collecting a brand new car from the sponsors — and one for his caddie. Hitting a six iron into the 203-yard hole, he wasn’t able to see the ball drop as it trickled down towards the cup. Nevertheless, it was a moment to savour. All the more so given it helped him to a 69 and solid halfway total of three-under. It’s common for tournaments to offer a car to any player who lands an ace, but this is believed to be a first where the caddie has also been awarded a new set of wheels. Good job, too, as Smith’s caddie had been driving an old BMW which sounded like it might be past its best. Smith collected a £60,000 Genesis electric GV70, a luxury midsized SUV, while caddie Sam Matton won a £50,000 Genesis GV60, an electric crossover. ‘We grew up playing golf together in Wiltshire, and he was one of the ushers at my wedding,’ said Smith. ‘We’ve known each other for years. Obviously, it’s great having Sam on the bag. ‘He’s a big part of that hole (in terms of getting the yardage right). So it’s great they managed to support caddies for that as well. ‘We chatted about it during the week saying that pin over there could be a good chance for a hole-in-one. It just happened today. I hit six iron and the wind was howling off the right. ‘Anything right of the pin would catch the slope and lucky enough it did. Even though we couldn’t see it, the crowd went nuts.’ Matton tried for five years to make it as a pro himself before quitting. ‘It didn’t suit me at all,’ he said. Now a popular member of the caddie fraternity, they were queuing up to embrace him outside the clubhouse and revel in his good fortune. ‘I think there might be a Guinness or two in my future,’ he said. ‘I had been looking for a new car and it looks as if my search is over.’