How would you celebrate winning a hole in one contest? Give the crowd a big fist pump? Would you run around the golf course? Spray champagne? Kiss your husband or wife? Former PGA Tour Pro John Morgan gave the crowd an unforgettable surprise at what was the most underrated celebrations in recent history.
Former PGA tour pro John Morgan sunk an ace at Cumberwell Park in Wilkshire, UK at a shootout hosted by a British investment company. Ablrate hosted a $100,000 main prize for a Par 3 hole in one! Unfortunately, all 26 participants missed the shot. That’s when John Morgan decided to take a hit.
After all of the 26 participants missed the hole in one, John Morgan, a golf commentator for Sky Sports, stepped up to the tee. Morgan was actually shooting wrap-up footage of the event on Facebook Live and decided to test his luck. To his surprise, and the rest of the crowd’s, he actually made the par 3 hole! The hole was situated 170 yards away on the other side of a lake. How did the former PGA player celebrate? Morgan immediately picked up one of the other golfers and spun around.
He then picks up a woman in a pink skirt and runs towards the flag. Finally, to everyone’s surprise, he jumps into the lake surrounding the eighth hole on Cumberwell’s par-three course. He swam across the lake to retrieve his ball -- all while filming a Facebook Live event on Sky Sports! With a kiss, he picks the ball up and holds it up to celebrate.
We’re betting he put that ball right into a trophy case! Unfortunately, Morgan wasn’t part of the event, so he wasn’t able to take on any winnings. However, Ablrate decided to award Morgan with $1,000, along with Darren Walkely, who made it closest to the pin with 4 ft. 9 ½ inches. Former PGA Tour Pro John Morgan sure did leave the crowd talking about his wild celebration—especially for British standards! After, Morgan simply tweeted “Crazy Stuff,” following his celebration and dip into the lake. Immediately following the event, publications picked up the story and the news spread like wildfire.
A hole in one is something that should be celebrated, although PGA tour pro John Morgan’s hole in one celebration was quite unique. Many PGA hole in one celebrations are a bit tamer, however, there are a several traditions that golfers have picked up on over the years. For example, golfers in America typically end up buying drinks for everyone in the clubhouse after they score an ace.
In fact, some clubs have blended this into their membership prices, giving golfers a reserve of money to spend on drinks. Other golf course will offer special prizes for those who have hit holes-in-one, which can range from pro shop gift cards or a raffle of a new car.
PGA hole in ones are actually not that uncommon. In fact, the hole in one odds for a pro golfer are 2,500 to 1, which is considerably better than an amateur golfer’s 12,500 to 1 odds. From 1983 to 2003, there were 631 aces on the PGA tour and along with that comes a number of notable PGA hole in one celebrations—from Tiger Woods raising the roof and fist pumping in 1996 to the ones that go sour, like PGA Pro Tony Finau who dislocated his ankle celebrating an ace before popping it back in again during the Masters par-three tournament. However, we’ve noticed many PGA hole in one celebrations involve a fist pump, a big hug, and a loud shout!
Are you interested in holding your own hole in one contest? Sponsoring a hole in one contest is the perfect way to generate a ton of buzz and exposure for your event. If you don’t have $100,000 lying around if someone wins the contest, no worries! National Hole-in-One can help. We offer amazing prizes that are affordable for every budget, so you can hold a successful hole in one contest that’s sure to make a splash. In exchange for a small percentage of the prize cost, we will shoulder the main payout and all the risk.
The great thing about National Hole-In-One is we are a one stop shop. You can get your hole in one coverage, golf signage, and prizes all with us! To find out how we can help your tournament, give us a call for fill out an online contact form to speak with one of our Golf Excitement Specialists about making your event a success!