I am a retired NAIA golfer that played five years at the University of Pikeville. I was playing in the shootout at our local club. I had been playing ok for the day until I lost a ball on hole 7 and ending up making double. I knew I was out of having any chance of the money. In frustration I tossed my ball on the tee on the short par 3 8th that normally plays about 130 yards. I always hit a pitching wedge on that hole. I took zero practice swings and just hit the ball out of frustration. I hit it ok but it never left the flag stick. As the ball was landing there was a loud thump sound. The greens were a little soft so I assumed that I flew it long and it plugged on the back fringe. One of my playing partners started saying that he thinks it was in the hole. There is a running fountain directly in front of the green in the pond so it was difficult to see where my ball had landed. As we walked to the green you could see the top half of the ball inside the cup against the flag stick. I immediately ran back to the cart and grabbed my phone, took a video of whole thing, I hit the flag stick and the ball fell to the bottom of the cup so it wasn't plugged in the lip or anything of that nature. I then began calling all my old teammates and friends about it. I ended up making a some money off that shot. So far it is my only one, and hoping that it isn't my last.

Side story: I am now an assistant coach at UPIKE, and I got to watch my younger brother make his first hole in one during our home tournament to basically win the 54 hole tournament for our team. I believe I was more excited for his first hole in one than my own. His hole in one was in Prestonsburg Ky at Stonecrest Golf Course on hole 17. I gave him a number and we talked about what he needed to do to try to make birdie because at that time we were trailing by a shot a two. It was his third to last hole for the tournament and as soon as he hit it, I knew it was pretty good. It is about 200 yards that plays about 25 to 30 yards down hill. It landed on the front right of the green and rolled in just like a putt. He had almost zero reaction and I began going crazy, jumping around, hooting and hollering. That was one of the coolest experiences that I have ever had on the golf course. We ended up winning that golf tournament by one shot as a team, and it ended up being the difference for us winning that tournament.

The first picture is from my first hole in one, and in the second picture is of me and my brother after the team had won our home tournament in the fall of 2025.