Daily Independent (Ashland, KY)

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July 15, 2012

DEFYING THE ODDS

Felty follows one ace with another

Rocky Stanley The Independent

ASHLAND — Absurd. Over the top. Too ridiculous to be true. Cameron Felty understands all the reactions to his incredible golf story.

It’s so crazy, he still has trouble believing it himself.

Thursday, Felty recounted the night three weeks ago that he made two holes-in-one with consecutive swings — on the same hole — at Austin Hills Golf Course while playing with buddy Austin Wright.

Austin Hills manager Matt Suman said he hears about “maybe six hole in ones in a year” at the tight, nine-hole former Sundowner course on Ky. 5. But back-to-back aces?  According to US Hole-in-One, the odds are one in 156.25 million.

“It was just amazing, something that you dream about,” Felty said. “Take that back. It’s not something you dream because it doesn’t even seem possible.”

The 23-year-old Morehead State University graduate is in the process of applying to medical school. He and Wright played high school golf together on some of Greenup County’s most successful teams. Wright also played a year of college golf at Shawnee State.

On June 23, they were taking advantage of a deal at Austin Hills that allows golfers unlimited play from 5 p.m. until dark for $15.

“We finished 18 and started playing two balls each hole trying to get another 18 in,” Felty said. “There weren’t a lot of people out there that day. We hit from the blues and whites (tees) just to make it a little different.”

Their unconventional round turned unforgettable when lightning struck twice for Felty on No. 4. He had never experienced a hole in one but was feeling good about one of his recent trips to Austin Hills.

“A few weeks earlier I shot a 58 (8-under par) out there,” he said. “It was a round where I was putting like crazy. I was still gloating about that.”

But it dwarfed in comparison to what happened next.

First, Felty holed a sand wedge tee shot from about 120 yards.

“There’s a ridge on the No. 4 green and you have to hope it hits on the right spot and rolls down,” he said.

Both players watched the Top Flite ball roll into the cup, then celebrated the moment.

“When Cam hit the first one, we both acted like idiots,” Wright said. “He tossed his club up in the air. We went up to the green and took a picture.”

That one went immediately to Facebook.

They returned to the No. 4 tee and moved back to the blues. After Wright put his drive a few feet from the hole, Felty placed a Bridgestone ball on the tee and let fly with a pitching wedge.

“The second one took a little hop to the right,” he said. “ I guess I put a little bit of spin on it. Whenever you do something like that, there’s a little bit of skill but probably 95 percent luck.”

Both players were so stunned after Felty’s repeat feat that they stood in silence. Felty said he was in complete shock.

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it,” Wright said. “To be honest, I saw it and still don’t really believe it.”

That comment came from a player who once made two holes in one there on No. 7 in a span of four days.

Felty said he has received a lot of positive feedback, along with some surprised looks. One of his favorite responses came from former Greenup County teammate Eli Carr, now playing golf at Morehead State.

“Eli said what I did was like seeing a polar bear and a black bear on the same day,” Felty said.

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.





 

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