Two holes-in-one in same round not a fluke, says 15-year-old

A teenage golfer is believed to be the youngest person in the UK to achieve the feat of two holes-in-one in the same round.

James Watson, who has just turned 15 and has been playing golf for only two-and-a-half years, defied odds of 167 million to one when he holed his tee shots on the third and eighth at Barnard Castle Golf Club in County Durham.

The youngster was playing in a club competition off the back tees at his home town club, where he has reduced his handicap from 18 to 11 this year.

James was playing in a fourball with his father Tony, Anthony Barker who took photos, and another senior member, David Moses.

They didn't take any funny bounces or anything, they just ran straight into the hole

He used a seven-iron for his first ace at the 160-yard third hole and a four-iron at the 175-yard eighth.

Records suggest the previous youngest to achieve the feat in the UK was a 16-year-old in Northern Ireland.

James, who attends Teesdale School, insisted they were not flukes.

He said: “I’m over the moon.

“I couldn’t believe it when the first one went in, never mind the second. I’ve been playing three times a week but will have to cut back now I’m back at school.

We'll remember this and remind him he has to follow the hole-in-one tradition of buying everyone a drink when he's 18

“I love the game and would really like to make a career out of it.”

“They were not flukes. They didn’t take any funny bounces or anything, they just ran straight into the hole.”

He was overcome by the shock of it all and his game fell away after scoring Stableford 22 points on the front nine, and finishing with 31.

Club captain Colin MacLeod said: “The whole club is buzzing. It has been the talk of the clubhouse and we’re trying to find out if it qualifies for the Guinness Book of Records.

“We’ll remember this and remind him he has to follow the hole-in-one tradition of buying everyone a drink when he’s 18.

“James is in our junior team and we hope this encourages other young people in the area to take up golf. “