A golfer has set what is believed to be a new record for Britain’s longest hole-in-one — a staggering 411 yards. Matt Vigurs aced the third hole at Great Barr Golf Club during a recent match.
The Unlikely Achievement
The 32-year-old, who plays off a handicap of +1, hit his driver off the tee but could not find his shot when he reached the green. After a few minutes searching, he decided to have a quick look in the hole — and saw his ball.
Matt said: “It was really surreal. I just froze to start with. The lads ran over and we all belly slammed and high fived. It was a moment I will never forget for sure. It was brilliant. I think we were all shocked. Typically, the ball wouldn’t go that far. It is just unheard of to get a hole-in-one really let alone on a par-four.”
Matt’s average drive is about 300 yards, but wind and hard ground helped him stretch out to 411 yards. It is thought that he is now the holder of the record for Britain’s longest hole-in-one — beating the previous effort by three yards.
Peter Vickerman aced the 408-yard par-4 seventh hole at Littlestone Golf Club in Kent in 2014. This was named then as the record for Britain’s longest hole-in-one by the BBC, surpassing the existing record of 393 yards — set in West Lancashire in 1972.
Matt, from Droitwich, Worcs., only returned to regular golf in February after eight years living abroad. His hole-in-one — also known as an albatross — came in a scratch match at the Walsall golf club, playing with a friend against two others.
The odds of getting an albatross — a score of 3-under-par — are estimated to be odds of 6 million-to-1, according to England Golf. However, the odds of a hole-in-one from this distance are likely even slimmer.
Matt, who works as a product and training manager at McLaren, added: “We think it might be the longest which is quite cool actually. I think it might even be the longest in Europe. I have absolutely no chance of ever doing it again. It truly was a once in six-million shot.”
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
