'1-in-67 million odds': Ontario man makes two holes-in-one in same round
John Payne of Woodstock, Ont. waited 62 years to make his first career hole-in-one.
It took him less than a half-hour to make his second.
“I don't even think it's really sunk in yet,” said Payne after acing holes three and seven at Sally Creek Golf Club in Woodstock, Ont. on Sunday.
The odds of making two holes-in-one in the same round are roughly 1 in 67 million according to the National Hole in One Registry. The feat has only been accomplished three times on the PGA Tour.
The two aces come after the semi-retired Payne had been watching his playing partners make aces on three separate occasions this year.
“He describes himself as a “professional hole-in-one witness” and wondered when was it his turn?
“Nobody was more shocked than guys I golf with because they know how badly I suck at this game,” joked Payne, who says he is a 13 or 14 handicap.
John Payne, 62 of Woodstock, Ont., made hole-in-ones on holes three and seven at Sally Creek Golf Club in Woodstock on Oct. 22, 2023. The odds of two aces in the same round is estimated to be 67 million to one. (Source: John PaynePayne said him and playing partners Tom Shaddick and Jake Deverell went out to play the nine-hole course early Sunday morning with temperatures barely above zero degrees Celsius.
“We got to hole number three and it is a 104-yard-blind shot and they (Payne’s playing partners) said they heard [the ball] hit the stick,” said Payne. “We walked up and, boom! There it was in the cup. We went nuts.”
After a brief celebration and taking a couple photos, they moved on.
Three holes later they got to the seventh hole.
“Another shot that went up, and I think that was about 117 yards,” said Payne. “Again, it went in. The sun was kind of in our eyes so we didn't really see it go up there, and there it was in the cup.”
He said at that point, Shaddick got out his phone to look up the odds of two aces in one round. When he was told of the astronomical chances, Payne was astonished.
Tom Shaddick (left) and Jake Deverell (right) flank John Payne (centre), who made two aces during their round at Sally Creek Golf Club in Woodstock Ont. on Oct. 22, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) “I thought about going out and getting [a] lottery ticket, but I thought maybe I've drained the tank on my luck already today,” laughed Payne.
He described Sally Creek Golf Club as a “difficult, short track” and with the cold temperatures, it was playing tough Sunday.
Payne still shot in the “mid-80’s,” even with two holes in one.
“They are short par threes, but even from those yardages to put them in I’m really happy,” he said. “I’m also happy for all the bogey-golfers out there who aren’t scratch or low handicappers to know that it can happen. My handicap is in the mid-teens and it can happen if you keep grinding and hitting the ball.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6949994.1720031014!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'I'm not leaving': Biden meets with top Democrats, rejects calls to abandon campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the 2024 presidential race during a call with campaign staff on Wednesday and sought to reassure top Democrats on Capitol Hill that he is fit for reelection despite his shaky debate performance last week.
'Not my finest moment:' Police called to dispute between Ottawa city councillor and daycare owner
Ottawa city councillor Clarke Kelly says he is not apologizing after a Kinburn daycare owner alleged he screamed and swore in front of children during a dispute that saw police called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
Is Greece's six-day work week an option in Canada? An expert weighs in
As some Canadian companies explore offering staff a four-day work week, experts are watching Greece's move closely and suggest it could work in Canada.
Irish prime minister 'appalled' by Montrealer's death after alleged assault
Ireland's prime minister says he's "absolutely appalled" by an assault in the country's capital that resulted in the death of a tourist from Montreal.
Ontario man suffers cardiac arrest in Florida. This is why insurance won't cover his $620,000 hospital bill
An Ontario man who wanted to spend time with his family in Florida was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest at the airport as he was about to fly back to Canada.
No tsunami threat after multiple earthquakes recorded off Vancouver Island
Five earthquakes were recorded in quick succession off the British Columbia coast on Wednesday afternoon.
Hudson's Bay Co. to purchase U.S. department store Neiman Marcus: reports
Hudson's Bay Co. has reached a deal to buy luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus, according to media reports.
Trudeau focused on governing, fighting right-wing populism following byelection loss
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been taking calls from different members of his Liberal caucus following the party's historic byelection loss in a Toronto riding last week, but the prime minister said his focus remains on governing.
Canadian feels 'abandoned' in Mexico after WestJet strike
More than 1,100 WestJet flights and counting have been cancelled since last Thursday, when a strike by the airlines mechanics union grounded travel plans for more than 100,000 customers.