Welshman Stuart Manley surely must have created a first ever in golf with a remarkable and bizarre start to his third round of the 2013 World Cup of Golf in Melbourne.
Manley began with the following scores – birdie, birdie, hole-in-one and then taking an ’11’ at the par four, fourth hole.
The 34-year old Welsh golfer, who regained his full European Tour card at last week’s Q-School, hit an 8-iron into the par three third hole and thought he had won himself a brand new Mercedes sedan.
Stuart Manley celebrating after his ace at the third hole but moments later he would walk off four with an ’11’. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
Manley was seen to walk over to the car parked at the back of the tee and then patted the roof of the gleaming new sedan.
Manley along with his playing partner Hideto Tanihara of Japan, along with the crowd, began celebrating given there is a gleaming new Mercedes sedan parked at the back of the tee.start
“I was so pumped up after the hole-in-one that I was absolutely ‘flying’ walking up to the green thinking that the car was mine particularly as the crowd got really excited,” said Manley.
However Manley was then approached by European Tour Chief Referee, John Paramor on the green to be advised that the prize of the gleaming new car is only up-for-grabs for a hole-in-one on the final day.
And to compound his disappointment Manley took an ‘11’ at the next hole to drop from seven under par and back to level.
“It was the highest high I’ve ever had but then to go to the lowest low, and the Aussie fans are pretty brutal as there was all sorts of comments like ‘finally’ along with chuckling and giggling that you just want to hear before the ball dropped.
“I won a bottle of champagne last year for a hole-in-one in Ireland on the EuroPro Tour, but nothing today but then if you guys want to chip in.”
And when asked his present car, Manley quitely revealed: “The car I’ve got at the moment is not as good as that Mercedes sitting behind the tee I have to say.
“I’m driving a Vauxhall Insigna so it’s nearly as good as a Mercedes.
“Also I won a bottle of champagne last year for a hole-in-one in Ireland on the EuroPro Tour, but nothing today but then if you guys want to chip in.”
Not to be deterred Manley struggled on managing to birdie the 14th and then eagle the 15th but also with his second shot at the last ending up in a container underneath a big screen TV down the left side of 18 on route to a one over par 72 to end the round still inside by top-10, and the thought now of a big share of the $US 7m on offer for the ‘Individual’ prize.
He said: “Having just got back my main Tour card every penny counts.
“There is a lot of prize money on offer this week so this can still be a massive week, as long as the Australian Tax Man does not take too much.”
Australia’s Jason Day will take a one shot lead into the final round as he looks to win on home soil for a first time in his pro career
.And in the four rounds among the 60 players participating just two countries will have played in the same group and they are Germany and Brazil, and coming together for the last day.
