Every time Terry Gorman approaches a par three on a golf course he has the same thought: I’m going to make a hole-in-one.
But after thousands of rounds over a lifetime of golf, the 66-year-old from Nanaimo was still looking for that ace.
That all changed Last Friday in one of the greatest feats on a golf course that a casual player will ever accomplish.
Gorman was playing the Ledgeview Golf Course in Abbotsford with his brother Tom and friends Ambrose Lewis and Bob Yachney.
The group teed off on the 10th hole. At the next tee, the 11th, Gorman pulled out a four hybrid and took a swing at the 169-yard par three.
“It was a great because the four of us could all watch the ball land and go in. It was one of those great shots. Just a great thing to watch,” said Gorman.
“I have hit a lot of close shots on par threes. So there was no celebrating before the ball went in. But I mean the hands went up and the air and we were jumping around.”
Then, six holes later, the group hit the next par three. Gorman grabbed his nine iron for the 116 yard 17th.
The group couldn’t believe their eyes as the ball disappeared into the cup, a second hole-in-one in the same round.
“At that point my arms went above my head again and we started to jump around and I got some sort of spasm because I was so excited. I actually said to the guys, ‘there’s a jump starter in my bag if I happen to fall down,'” said Gorman.
“It was pretty wild.”
A tee shot hit by an amateur golfer on a par-3 goes into the hole one out of every 12,750 times, according to Golf Digest and the National Hole In One Association.
But Gorman’s accomplishment, two holes-in-one in one round, has odds of 67 million-to-one.
“I am a lucky guy. I have always been a lucky guy. I don’t know what to say, the odds are enormous,” said Gorman.
“I was really, really hoping for that third one. It was kind of silly to be hoping because there was absolutely no chance.”
What made the round extra special was that Gorman did it alongside his brother.
Tom is moving to Ontario and Gorman said this could be the last time the pair play together.
“It was perfect. He had a great day. He doesn’t play a lot of golf. But his score, after handicaps, was a 59 which is a pretty significant number in golf,” Gorman said.
Gorman still hasn’t figured out where the scorecard from the round will go and he still has the one ball ball he used for both incredible shots.
But he does know that replicating a round like this one will require something close to a miracle.