Golfer beats odds of 67,000,000-1 by hitting two holes in one on same round

An amateur golfer who has waited 44 years to hit a hole in one has defied odds of 67,000,000 to one by getting two in the same round.

But he still didn’t win the tournament he was playing in.

Retired banker Douglas Spencer, 60,was playing at the Boat of Garten course in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland when he achieved his remarkable feat.

He holed his tee shots at the ninth and then repeated the feat at the 16th hole.

‘I’ve never even had a hole in one before,’ Douglas said. ‘It had eluded me for 44 years or something like that. The first one was very good and the second hole in one was not lucky but the ball rolled in from a long way.

‘I have been playing golf since I was around 14 years old so it has been a long time coming.’

But Douglas’s ace day was not enough to claim the win in the medal competition.

He finished runner-up four strokes behind the winner with a seven at the second hole denting his scorecard.

Both of his holes in one in the club’s Roddy MacLeod Trophy at the par threes Beag (ninth hole) and Craigowrie (16th hole) on his home course were witnessed by fellow players out on the fairways.

Douglas, who now plays off a nine handicap, said: ‘My playing partner John Ingles saw the first ace and said it was one bounce and into the hole and the second one was seen by three guys on the 17th tee who were watching on as the ball went in, and they went mad with delight.’

John was a little more restrained with his celebrations.

Douglas said: ‘I got a very perfunctory high-five and a “well done”. There was a bit more celebration with the guys who had been on the 17th tee for the second ace.’

He went out in 42 which he confessed ‘was not great’ even with the ace but the inward nine was a much better level par 36 for a round of 78.

His amazing feat has resulted in his handicap dropping down two strokes from 11.

But what is the etiquette in the clubhouse for two holes in one during the same round? No-one was quite sure.

Traditionally a golfer who hits a hole in one concludes the day by buying a round of drinks at the clubhouse bar for everyone present.

Douglas said: ‘That was the big question, and I do not know is the answer. I put a bottle of whisky behind the bar. There was only one spare bottle of whisky in the back cupboard.

‘It was there for everyone to enjoy and it was polished off by mid-evening having finished my round by 11.30am. Not many were wanting to drink whisky at that time!’

Douglas lives in the village and has been a member of ‘The Boat’, as the club is known locally, for the past 13 years. He is also a member of Lossiemouth Golf Club in Moray.

He has been a playing partner with two golfers who have hit holes in ones in his many years on the fairways.

‘In one case the guy played 17 terrible holes and then had a hole in one. He was happy to have sacrificed them all for his ace,’ said Douglas.

On his own very special pair of aces, he said: ‘It all feels a bit surreal if I am being honest. I was thinking after the first one ‘brilliant, that’s probably my hole in one for life’ and to then have a second one I was completely flabbergasted. There was about 70 minutes between them.’

It is 12,500-1 to get a hole in one but the odds soar for the feat to be repeated during the same round.

Oonline searches reveal it has only been ‘achieved by a handful of amateur and professional golfers across the globe’.

English golfer Dale Whitnell achieved the feat in the second round of the Investec South African Open Championship in Durban in February last year.

People have more chance of winning the UK Lotto jackpot (matching all six numbers) which has odds of 1 in 45,057,474.

Douglas will be hoping to get another ace or two when he takes part in a fundraising challenge with playing partner Iain Gardner to complete 100 holes in a single day on June 19 at the famous North Berwick West Links course in aid of Prostate Scotland.

So far the pair have raised nearly £12,500 but are keen to bring in as much as possible in the fight against prostate cancer.

Find out more about the pair’s fundraiser here.

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