MICHAEL Thompson credited his Callaway No.7 “heavenwood” for a historic hole-in-one at Merbein Golf Club on Saturday.
Thompson aced the 199-metre eighth hole at Merbein during the first round of the club championships – the first recorded on the course’s longest par-three since Bill Crosbie’s in 1963.
“It feels pretty fantastic,” Thompson said.
“We thought it had actually rolled over the back, so we weren’t too sure if it had gone in, but the guys on the next hole checked and told us it had.”
The shot helped drive Thompson into an 11-shot lead after he shot 71 off the stick in the first round.
“I’m playing off of two at the moment, so that’s equal to the best round I’ve played,” he said.
The weekend’s club championships, which included yesterday’s second round, attracted the biggest field the club had seen in years.
After the 2020 championships were called off due to COVID-19, the club decided to reschedule the competition over two consecutive weekends this month.
Club secretary Melinda Binding said player numbers had more than doubled since the 2019 championship, with more than 25 players hitting the fairway for the opening two rounds.
“I think we’ve been really lucky to see some new members join us over the past two years,” she said.
“It’s great to see both old and new members getting out there, enjoying the course and socialising.”
The last hole-in-one recorded at the course was in 2019, by member Matt Dean at the third.
For a report on Merbein’s club championships, which ends with the third round on Saturday, pick up Wednesday’s Sunraysia Daily.
