Amateur golfer claims rare hole-in-one twice in one round

An amateur golfer has told of his disbelief after hitting two hole-in-ones in just one round.

Mike Wyatt, 57, is celebrating after pulling off an incredibly rare achievement at his home course during a competition.

The recently retired telecoms worker said the remarkable feat on Monday was ‘surreal’ and he ‘couldn’t believe it’.

Mr Wyatt hit two aces using his 6 iron on the 185-yard par three 3rd and his 7 iron on the 175-yard par three 11th at Royal Winchester Golf Club, Hampshire.

Mr Wyatt, who has been a member of the club for 25 years, was playing with his partner Beverley Smith and friends John and Sheena Quinn in a club competition.

He said he ended up with a bill of over £100 getting drinks for everyone in the clubhouse afterwards.

The odds of a golfer getting two aces in one round are 67 million to one - significantly greater than the nine million to one odds a person has for being struck by lightning twice in their life.

“It was quite extraordinary,” Mr Wyatt said. “We were on the third hole, you can see the green and just about see the flag, it was about 185 yards. I hit it and we were about 95 per cent sure it went in. Sure enough when we got there it was in.

“On the 7th, which is a par three, I actually hit a really nice shot which was going right at the flag, it pitched about five yards from the hole but it span back.

“We got to the 11th and it was about 175 yards. The girls were having a good old chatter on the tee and I said ‘are you finished now?’

“It was funny because one of them said that I had better hit a good shot now.

“I hit the ball, we watched it land on the green, a couple of bounces, and go in the hole. I was stunned, I couldn’t believe it.

“I kind of smiled and then got a big old hug from Bev. To have one, you are thinking, ‘this is nice, I’m happy with that’, but after the second one goes in, I’m stunned. It was surreal.”

Mr Wyatt, from Romsey, Hants, said he was obliged to buy everyone a drink in the clubhouse, as per the golfing tradition.

He said he bought wine for around 40 people - costing over £100. Mr Wyatt has also been taking stick from jealous friends.

He said: “One of my friends jokingly said to me ‘sorry, no, I’m ignoring you now, it’s so rude’.”

Mr Wyatt said he has been ‘hitting the ball quite nicely’ lately but isn’t getting too excited because he knows that as always in golf ‘it comes and goes’.

He added: “You have got to have a bit of luck involved, of course you do. You’ve got to get up and hit a nice shot but you have also got to have luck for that to happen.”

Mr Wyatt, who plays off a handicap of three, said he has now ‘leapfrogged’ partner Ms Smith, who has five hole-in-ones.

All of Mr Wyatt’s six hole-in-ones have come at Royal Winchester GC, however, he hasn’t had one for 10 years.

Playing partner and friend Mr Quinn said: “We were all chuffed for Mike when the ball rolled in on the 3rd but were just stunned when he did it again on the 11th.

“Then we just started cheering. I’ll never live to see anyone do what Mike has done – it was truly amazing.

“The conditions were tough, with the wind blowing and rain coming down, but that didn’t put Mike off.

“We told Mike it was going to cost him a fortune – it’s tradition to buy everyone in the clubhouse a drink if you get a hole-in-one, so he had to buy two.”