Despite all the blood, sweat and tears that accompany a golfer on his round, occasionally a poor day, beset by inaccurate shots and even rotten bad luck, is bolstered by the thoughts that maybe this round is the one when dreams will be realised. Such a day happened at Khao Kheow on Monday, 12th March when the Pattaya Golf Society took on the C and B nines in competition.
Aussie Russell Meiers was undergoing a very mediocre start and coming to the short par three eighth hole he could have been forgiven for assuming all hopes of success had deserted him. The pin was at 157 yards with a slight breeze coming from two o’ clock. He caught a five iron perfectly and caddies whooped as the ball landed all over the pin but the hole was hidden by the slope at the back of the green.
Russell checks his ace at Khao Kheow. “Yep, still there!”
On reaching the green a pessimistic Russell’s first reaction was to look for his ball through the back and when it was nowhere in sight a glance in the hole showed him what all golfers dream about. He had just recorded the second “ace” of his career.
Beginning many years ago left-handed, an injury had forced him the switch to an orthodox swing and he had already recorded a hole-in-one at his home course in his native Queensland.
Russell Meiers (left) is all smiles as he accepts his new IPGC golf bag from Stephen Beard of IPGC.
Wonderful stuff, but the day was to contain one more ironic twist. The organiser had been fretting for six holes with Russell’s four-ball never in sight on the tee or the course and was even mentally thumbing the Rule Book for advice.
It emerged that the Starter had set the group off early before the official start time and thus the extenuating circumstances upheld the momentous events of the day.
The sweet memory will remain with Russell for the rest of his golf career and every time he takes out his new emblazoned IPGC golf bag, presented to every IPGC member after a competition hole in one, he will savour the day at Khao Kheow when his dreams came true for a second time!
