A Wodonga player has nailed the ultimate thrill – at only 12.
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Jack McAuliffe celebrated the New Year in style with his first hole in one at the sixth, which was playing around 175m, on Monday.
“One of the guys that I was playing with, I was tossing between two clubs and the guy said, ‘just hit a soft driver’ and I did, it worked out perfectly,” he said.
“I thought I saw it go in yes, I was pretty excited … (had a) bit of a club throw I think.”
McAuliffe, who will start high school this month, has been playing for two years.
“Well, it’s pretty rare for anybody to get a hole in one, let alone a 12-year old,” Wodonga Golf Club professional Gavin Vearing said.
“There’s probably been cases of people younger, but there wouldn’t be many around the world where somebody that age does.”
And Vearing says he’s improving rapidly.
“He just about lives up here, I think he’s up here eight days a week,” Vearing laughed.
“He’s always out there playing and practicing, it’s school holidays, so he’s basically living at the golf course.”
Like so many promising youngsters, McAuliffe would love to turn pro, but he knows the old adage, ‘drive for show, putt for dough’ rings true.
“Just my short game really, that’s everything in golf, you’ve got to be able to get it close and putt well,” he said.
The Border’s Marcus Fraser is one of the world’s best putters, so he could teach the Catholic College Wodonga student a thing or two.
And McAuliffe has now joined the ‘ace’ club with Fraser, who’s racked up eight.
“I reckon if I stick at it, I can get close,” he said.
If McAuliffe can get eight, the golfing world will probably know him.
