Have a really cool hole in one story I figured I'd share with the community, but first some context around it:
When I was 17 years old I found out I had cancer. I battled it for about a year and on 1/13/2002 I got the news that I'd won that battle.
The National Kidney Foundation hosts a 4 man scramble tournament every year. Regional qualifiers and the top 2-3 teams from each region qualify to go to Nationals at Pebble Beach. I put together a team with my brother and two buddies, we won a local qualifier and qualified to go to nationals. After a year delay due to COVID we got to play at Nationals in Jan 2022. My parents came and watched us and I got to treat my dad to a round at Pebble (sank a 20 footer and birdied #7 that day). The tournament started on 1/13/2022, 20 years to the day that I learned I'd beat cancer. I vividly remember waking up that morning and it hitting me that it was my 20 year anniversary of beating cancer.... texted the team "no better way to celebrate 20 years cancer free than playing in this tournament with you guys, let's go!" A couple of days later, on the 16th we played our final round of the tournament at Pebble Beach. Beautiful day that ranged between 60-70 degrees, sunny, no/minimal wind. Couldn't ask for a nicer day. Pace of play had been good until we got to #6 and teams were trying to reach the green in 2 which caused a bit of a traffic jam on 6,7,8. Eventually we get moving again and get to hole 7, the most photographed golf hole in the world. We had a couple of groups stacked up behind us and there were a couple of groups waiting to tee of on 8 that could see our shots coming in on 7 even though we couldn't see them on 8. The event photographer was out there, overall pretty decent sized group watching us hit our shots on 7.
First two guys tee off and do something I'm sure is very familiar on #7.... thinned shots over the green and into the ocean. My brother goes next and hits a great shot. Lands 3 feet right of the flag pin high and rips back 15-20 feet. Caddie tells me downhill, no wind, playing about 95 yards. I ask him after seeing my brother's shot (pin was slightly left and back of center).... what do you think about playing it 100 and bringing it back? He says that's the play. 58 degree wedge... hit it and knew it was really good. Right at the flag, flies right over it.... Brother and I remember things the same way, silence, no "get close" or "go in" just silence....ball lands 14 feet past the hole and starts coming back... It gets to the hole and drops. Could see it clear as day, we all started jumping around and yelling, just a surreal experience. 3 years later and I still get goosebumps every time I think about it!
