As I watching the Masters yesterday, a great and incredibly unique occurrence happened. On the 2nd hole, a par five, of 575, Louis Oosthuizen, a South African golfer, holed out from the fairway, a 253 yard shot for a double-eagle. In the 77 year history of the Masters that shot had never been done on that hole. There are usually about 96 golfers who are invited to play in this prestigious event. After the first 36 holes there is a “cut” and usually half the field is eliminated. So, in each tournament the 15th hole is played about 288 times. Over the years, there may have been slightly different fields and smaller cuts because of ties. But, all in all, that hole has been played over 22,000 times.

A double-eagle, which is 3 under par, is always quite rare. It is even much, much rarer than a hole in one, which happens often in almost every professional tournament, Of course, in each tournament, there is a number of par threes and the average professional golfer hits the green at a very high percentage. So it stands to chance that there will be holes in one.

The most famous shot in golf history was done by the legendary professional golfer Gene Sarazen. In the 1935 Masters, on the 15th hole, Sarazen holed out from the fairway for a double-eagle and wound up tying Craig Wood. In their only 36-hole playoff in history, to crown a champion, Sarzaen eventually beat Wood. Today, because of television, playoffs are restricted to either sudden death or the lowest total of strokes over three holes.

From 1957 through 1959 I had the pleasure of caddying at Winged Foot where the 1959 US Open was held. I was also there for the 1974 and 1984 Opens. Sarazen, who was famous for his “Plus Four” knickers, and one of the world’s greatest golfers, was one of the various, honorary starters at the Masters until 1999. He died at age 97 only a month after his last Masters’ tee off. In the 1960s thought the 1980’s, I used to see him every once in a while at Winged Foot, when I was there for a local tournament. Craig Wood, was Winged Foot’s club professional, before the late Claude Harmon took over in 1945. I followed him and my old buddy Billy O’Hara in 1967 as they played in a friendly $200 Nassau against two “suckers.” Wood smoked a cigar throughout the round, and often he would take a swig from a flask stored in his golf cart. He was quite rotund, but he could still hit a long and straight drive. It seems his lifestyle caught up with him, because he died in Palm Beach, at age 67, in 1968.