A PAIR of retired amateur golfers were forced to get the drinks in when they BOTH hit a hole in one in the same competition.
David Middleton and John Shih, both 70, were stunned to achieve every golfer's dream within minutes of each other at the Farleigh Seniors Club Championship at Farleigh Golf Club, in Selsdon, on Monday last week.
And as every player knows, it is tradition that any player to hit the one-shot wonder has to get their wallet out and buy a round for all the players in the competition.
But luckily for Mr Middleton and Mr Shih, their golf insurance will pay them back the money – handy considering there were 27 thirsty players to cater for.
For retired accountant Mr Shih, from Shirley, the timing could not have been better.
He said: "It was my 70th birthday a few days after so it was a wonderful present. I saw my shot go in but it wasn't a good shot at all, it was just lucky. I was worried it was going to go in the water."
Mr Middleton, a former school teacher from Sutton, said he was much happier with his shot.
"I never thought I would get a hole in one," he said.
"But I have to say mine was a decent shot."
Mr Middleton, whose favourite golfers are former world number one Luke Donald and long putter-wielding German Bernhard Langer, estimated the odds of two people getting an "ace" in the same competition at more than a million to one.
The pair holed out on the red course 4th and blue course 7th holes respectively.
Mr Shih, who plays off a handicap of 20 while Mr Middleton is off 15, added: "It has been a great week and I can only dream of hitting another one."
The only snag to their success was that neither player ended up with the spoils on the day – Mr Middleton finishing runner-up and Mr Shih third.
