Dale Whitnell just had one of the craziest rounds of golf you’ll ever see, sinking not one but two holes-in-one in a single tournament round at the South African Open Championship.
That’s right – two aces in 18 holes. For regular golfers who dream of getting just one hole-in-one in their lifetime, this is pretty mind-blowing.
The 36-year-old Englishman’s round was like a roller coaster ride from start to finish. He shot a spectacular 63, nine strokes under par, but that barely tells the story.
His first ace came early, knocking in a 7-iron from 185 yards on the second hole. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he nailed another one on the 12th hole with a wedge from 128 yards out.
But here’s where it gets even wilder.
Whitnell started his round with a birdie on the first hole, followed by that hole-in-one on the second, and then casually added an eagle on the third. Talk about a hot start!
He kept the momentum going with more birdies on the eighth and ninth holes, making the turn at 30 strokes – putting him on pace for something really special.
The back nine was just as dramatic. After his second ace on the 12th, he had a real shot at making history – he was closing in on becoming only the second player ever to shoot a 59 on the DP World Tour.
Then came the 16th hole.
In a moment that proves even pros have their struggles, Whitnell completely whiffed the ball in the rough, leading to a double bogey. But he bounced back like a champ, finishing with a birdie on the last hole.
He’s not completely alone in this remarkable achievement. Open champion Brian Harman pulled off the same feat back in 2015 at The Barclays, but it’s still incredibly rare.
This year’s Race to Dubai has now seen seven holes-in-one total, but no one else has managed to sink two in the same round.
For perspective, most professional golfers go their entire careers without making two aces in one round. Some never even get one. Whitnell did it in just over four hours.
