British golfer Dale Whitnell had himself a day as he recorded not one but two hole-in-ones during Friday’s round of the South African Open as part of the DP World Tour.
Whitnell, 36, recorded the two improbable shots on the par-3 and the 12th at Durban Country Club. This is not to say that everything went great for Whitnell. He finished with 9-under, including a third eagle, seven birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey.
However, he made the cut.
“I was struggling to make the cut, so I knew I needed to go out and play well and got off to a hot start as they would say,” Whitnell said after Friday’s round.
“Birdied the first and then hit a flush 7-iron on the second and didn’t realize it went in until down the bottom they sort of cheered. That was lovely.”
It was lovely indeed, as the world’s 545th-ranked golfer got a chance to sample the applause and media attention usually reserved for the game’s highest stars.
Whitnell eagled the par-5 third and, as a reward, had to wait nine holes until his second ace.
“I’ve never had one in tournament play,” Whitnell said. “To have two in one day is pretty special.”
Whitnell has competed on the European Tour since 2009.
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