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Hole-in-ones are elusive

In my capacity as the editor of Golf Digest Malaysia magazine, I am often bombarded by some of the most intriguing questions that I do not have an answer for.

Here are some that I would like to share on Merdeka Day, which coincidentally is also my wedding anniversary:
1. How do you hit the ball so that it backspins like how the pros do on TV?
2. Why is Tiger Woods playing badly?
3. Why isn't there a Malaysian Open champion yet?

Those are three of the most commonly asked questions that I have been thrown throughout my 15-plus years in the golf industry.

But one question that touches a nerve has to be, "Have you ever had a hole-in-one yet?"

The answer to date is "no". But by my standards, I have come agonizingly close.

Here's a list of hole-in-one prizes that I have missed so far (and measurement from the hole!):
1) One million ringgit (12 feet wasn't near but it was a million!/The Mines)
2) Mercedes-Benz E Class (Missed this twice in two consecutive years - One by 6ft, the other by 4ft/Old Saujana Palm Course)
3) Honda CRZ Hybrid (4ft/The Mines)
4) A bungalow worth RM500,000 (5ft/Old Palm Garden GC)
5) BMW 3-Series M Sport (2ft/Kota Permai GCC)

While I naturally lamented what could have been, there are those that seem to have some of the best luck in the world.

My uncle in-law, Leong has had at least three to his name. It was an honour to interview him for a competitor mag 15 years ago.

A friend Bernard, who only picked up the game three years ago, has made two aces already. I nicknamed him "King of Aces" recently.

I have also been told stories of how beginners who top their ball that ricochet's off a tree and finds the bottom of the cup.

And talking about luck, nothing beats this...

In the final round of The Barclays, Brian Harman became only the third man in PGA TOUR history two ace two holes in the same round.

Harman first aced the third hole with a 7-iron from 184 yards and added his second hole-in-one 11 holes later on the 14th with a 4-iron from 220 yards.

The last player to do this was Japan's Yusaku Miyazato at the Reno-Tahoe open in 2006, while the first was amateur Bill Whedon in 1955 during the Insurance City Open which is called the Travelers Championship today.

While I struggle with finding time to practice my long and short game, a hole-in-one will be one of the items on my golf bucket list to strike off.

Wish me luck!

Fairways and greens to all.

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