Accrington golfer hits hole-in-one ... on a par four (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Accrington golfer hits hole-in-one ... on a par four

11:30am Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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THERE are plenty of amateur golfers out there who would be happy with a five or a six on a 289-yard par four, but Accrington’s Steve Ion has recorded an extraordinary hole-in-one.

Ion was competing in a midweek competition at the two-year-old Oak Royal Golf and Country Club in Withnell when he took a three wood from the tee at the sixth hole.

The contact was clean and the direction promising, but even he did not expect to find his ball nestling in the hole when he reached the green.

“I knew instantly I had hit it rather well,” said the 32-year-old.

“However, being unable to clearly see the green from the tee bed, owing to the fact there is a crest to the fairway, myself and my playing partner, Lee Keller, didn’t realise that the ball had ended up in the hole.

“Upon inspection it was found that my ball was in neither of the bunkers and I said to Lee that it must have run through the back of the green.

“He rather jokingly said, ‘Or it could be in the hole’.

“When I got to the hole I mockingly looked down but, rather than the empty cup I expected to see, there was a ball in the bottom.

“When I realised it was my ball I dropped my bag and fell to my knees in a state of total shock, closely followed by me running back up the fairway towards Lee, jumping up and down like a crazed lunatic.

“Afterwards I couldn’t stop shaking and my game went to pot, and subsequently I came second in the competition.”

It was the first ever hole-in-one on a par four at the course and the club are set to commemorate the feat by putting Ion’s name on a ball in the steps by the clubhouse.