93-Year-Old Man Hits A Hole-In-One In His Final Game Of Golf
93-year-old Ben Bender of Zanesville, Ohio, had played golf for 66 years.
But he’d never hit a hole-in-one.
Given the fact that the average amateur golfer has a 12,500-to-1 shot at a hole-in-one every time they step in the tee box, the fact that he’d missed the mark wasn’t particularly noteworthy — until his final game.
Bender, who suffers from hip bursitis, knew his days on the course were numbered when he stepped up to the third tee at Zanesville’s Green Valley Golf Club last month. The third hole is a tricky shot — typically a par three at 152 yards — and features a large lake in the center of the fairway (check out the video below).
But using a five wood, Bender drove the ball straight into the hole for his first-ever hole-in-one.
“I’d come close to some hole-in-ones, but this one was level on the green before it curved towards the hole and went in,” Bender told the Zanesville Times Recorder.
This 93-year-old made his first hole-in-one during the last round of his life : https://t.co/MVZg9mOzmE pic.twitter.com/TNpxyxXfMC
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2018
A few holes later, Bender’s hip ached so severely he walked off the course for the final time. “My hips were hurting and I had to stop,” he said. “It seemed the Lord knew this was my last round, so he gave me a hole-in-one.”
There’s a saying among golfers that no matter how terribly you play, there’s always one shot per round that brings you back. For Bender, his final round had a shot that was a perfect one to go out on.
“I was lucky to play golf this long, but I never expected [a hole-in-one],” he said. “It was the last time I was able to play, and I think God had a hand in this. I loved the game and hate to give it up, but I can’t play forever.”
Share image by Zenmasterdodd/Flickr.
-
Serena Williams just exposed one of the most sexist double standards in all of sports. The closer you look the more unbelievable it becomes.
-
Serena Williams responds to backlash about her catsuit by competing in a tutu “The policing of women’s bodies must end.”
-
Week One Of The NFL Preseason Brings Player Protests And Outrage From The President Two players from the Miami Dolphins kneeled during the national anthem
-
Team Fox Athletes Race Toward A Cure For Parkinson’s Disease “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
-
Hope Solo Believes The High Cost Of Youth Soccer Is Hurting The State Of The Game Club soccer can cost families $17,000 a year, according to a recent report.
-
Surfer, New Mom, And Philanthropist Alana Blanchard Wants To Help Young Female Surfers Realize Their Dreams The cost for young surfers to compete can be daunting without major sponsors and brands to help with travel and contest fees, so she created the Alana Blanchard Foundation.
-
‘Workers Cup’ Film Highlights The Complicated Preparations For The 2022 World Cup In Qatar, workers balance their love of soccer with the burden of treacherous work conditions.