Some people go their entire golfing life without ever getting to experience a hole-in-one.
Most people, in fact.
Grady Rodgers only had a five-year wait. And got his when he was 10 years old.
Playing in the 9-10 age division in Monday’s Topeka Junior Golf Summer Series Event No. 4 at Topeka Country Club, Rodgers got the thrill of a lifetime two holes into his round.
Hitting a 5-hybrid on the 120-yard No. 11, Rodgers aced the uphill par-3 hole. Not that he knew it right away.
“I saw it hit the green and it rolled,” he said. “I thought it went past the hole.”
The reaction from the group ahead of him in the tournament indicated otherwise. The trio of Isaac Ansley, Cole Stafford and Austin Casebeer started screaming, setting off a celebration in Rodgers’ group, which included Myles Didde and Brecken Garrett.
“I went pretty crazy,” Rodgers said. “My mom was there to watch it.”
Rodgers’ ace quickly became a local sensation, posted to social media by his mother, Ashley, as well as Topeka Country Club and the TJGA and leading to television interviews. When they told his father, Justin, Grady said he got emotional.
“Even at work, he started crying and stuff,” Grady said.
Rodgers has saved the ball — though he continued to play with it during the remainder of his round. He also has the scorecard and said he hoped to give the ball to Topeka native and PGA professional Gary Woodland, perhaps for an autograph.
Rodgers has actually come close to a hole-in-one before, coming within inches of another ace on No. 16 at Berkshire Country Club. He called his ace around the 30th of his career — all the others coming during miniature golf rounds.
But this one is way more special.
“It was fun,” he said. “I want to make like 50 of these.”
The hole-in-one was the second recorded by a Topeka junior during the TJGA Summer Series this year. On June 15, Luke Rothfuss, who will be a junior at Washburn Rural this fall, aced the 188-yard No. 5 at Shawnee Country Club.
TJGA president Jared Goehring said he couldn’t recall any other holes-in-one in recent years in the summer series.
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