WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Johnny Keyes, a member of the Whitman College varsity golf team, made one of the rarest shots in golf last week – a hole-in-one on a par 4 hole.
Keyes, a senior, aced the 280-yard 9th hole last Thursday at Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla. His Whitman golf coach, Peter McClure, and one of his Whitman teammates, senior Will Larson, witnessed the hole-in-one.
“It was a great shot to see,” McClure said. “Using his (Ping) driver, Johnny hit a hard high shot that started to the right of the green and then hooked slightly back toward the hole. The ball landed just short of the green and took one big hop of about 15 feet, hit the flag stick and disappeared into the cup.”
Because of the distance, the threesome couldn’t be sure the ball went into the hole. McClure lost sight of the ball after hearing the “clank” of the ball hitting the flag stick. “I thought it went into the hole, but I couldn’t be sure. When the ball hits the flag stick, it often caroms off the green at some unexpected angle and is easy to lose sight of.”
After the trek from tee to green, “Johnny went directly to the hole, bent over and pulled the ball out of the hole,” McClure said. “We were all smiles.”
For McClure, who has made three holes-in-one on par 3 holes during his playing career, it was the first time he had witnessed an ace on a par 4. Keyes, a graduate of Walla Walla High School, has one par 3 hole-in-one to his credit.
In Thursday’s round, Keyes, McClure and Larson were either two or three over par after their first six holes. “As we prepared to tee off for the seventh hole, I said to Johnny and Will, `Let’s play these last three holes at either even or one under,’” McClure said.
“As it turned out, I birdied No. 7, a 438-yard par four, and Will hit two great shots into No. 8, a 495-yard par 5, and made a birdie,” McClure said. “Before we hit our tee shots on No. 9, Johnny told me I needed to birdie, because he was going to make eagle on the hole.”
The Whitman men’s golf team opens its fall season this Sunday, Sept. 19, when it hosts Whitworth and Pacific in an 18-hole match at the Wildhorse Resort Golf Course near Mission, Ore. Keyes was Whitman’s top golfer last season, placing seventh at the Northwest Conference Championships in April.
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information, (509) 527-5902
Email: holden@whitman.edu