To truly grasp another golfer’s pain, you need to walk a mile in their spikes. Picture yourself as Mike, who recently thought he achieved his first-ever hole-in-one. The scene was perfect: he saw the ball drop into the hole, and his crew erupted in cheers. Cameras were rolling, ready to capture this unforgettable moment. But as Mike bent down to retrieve his ball from the cup, he made perhaps the most devastating discovery in golf history. Prepare to sympathize deeply.
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As it turned out, the ball in the hole wasn’t Mike’s—it was his playing partner Jimmy’s. Jimmy had teed off first and landed his ball beautifully on the green. According to Rick Golfs, Mike’s ball had landed so close to Jimmy’s and at such an angle that it created an optical illusion. Instead of finding the bottom of the cup itself, Mike’s ball struck Jimmy’s and ricocheted it into the hole. No one, least of all Mike, realized this until they approached the green and saw the situation with their own eyes.
This scenario is a worst-case for everyone involved. Mike experienced the high of a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, only to have it snatched away in the cruelest manner possible. Jimmy didn’t get credited for the ace either, as the Rules of Golf required him to replace his ball as close to its original location as possible. It was a true lose-lose situation.
Yet, there is one silver lining to this tragic tale: a heartbreaking day on the golf course is still better than a great day anywhere else.