In keeping with the nationwide hole-in-one registry, the percentages of two holes-in-one in a single spherical are 67,000,000 to 1. Whereas the percentages of creating back-to-back holes-in-one should not out there (as a result of, effectively, why are odds wanted on one thing that’s by no means going to occur), that uncommon incidence came about Friday when Frank Bensel Jr. made two straight aces on the 2024 U.S. Senior Open throughout his second spherical at Newport Nation Membership.
Bensel’s back-to-back holes-in-one are the primary in a tour-sanctioned occasion and the primary in a United States Golf Affiliation championship. Solely Don Bliss within the 1987 U.S. Mid-Novice Championship had made two holes-in-one in the identical spherical earlier than Bensel went back-to-back on Friday.
“I’ve performed quite a lot of golf in my life, and simply to see a hole-in-one in a match is fairly uncommon,” Bensel stated. “For me to have that, it was nice. I am out right here attempting to play effectively and make the lower. And, on the time, it was fairly necessary for me to do this. So the primary one was nice, in order that obtained me below par for the day. After which the second, I simply could not consider it. To even assume that that might occur was superb.Â
“Hit the ball form of in the correct place, after which it simply began rolling. I used to be kidding round, and I used to be like, ‘OK, now let’s go for one more one,’ and it occurred to go in. Everyone simply could not consider it. All of us went nuts. I’ve obtained quite a lot of household and associates right here they usually have been all going loopy, and the fellows I performed with, identical factor, they could not consider it. It was superb.”
Bensel stepped onto the tee field on the par-4 third already over par in his spherical due to an early bogey. Debating together with his son — who served as caddie — on the membership choice, Bensel had remaining say and selected to wield a 6 iron. It proved to be the proper resolution as Bensel hit a knock-down 6 iron that landed on the entrance of the inexperienced and in the end discovered its strategy to the underside of the cup.
The pinnacle skilled at Century Nation Membership didn’t see his ball tumble into the outlet, however he would moments later when he arrived on the par-3 fifth. As a result of, guess what? Bensel did it once more. This time from 203 yards, Bensel carded his second straight hole-in-one to etch his identify into golf’s historical past books.
The back-to-back aces obtained Bensel to three below on his spherical and a couple of over for the championship, however that may be nearly as good as it might get. 4 straight bogeys to finish his entrance 9 noticed him flip in 1 over earlier than including three extra squares on his scorecard on the again 9 for a 4-over 74 to observe up his opening 75.Â
Bensel could not have made a birdie in Spherical 2 and will not have a weekend tee time at Newport Nation Membership, however he does have story of a lifetime and might say he completed one of many rarest feats ever within the recreation of golf.