University of Texas photo
Making a hole in one in a round is incredible, yet the odds are estimated at a "reasonable" 5,000 to 1. The odds of making two aces in one in a single round, however, are a mind-blowing 67 million-to-1.
How about making two aces on the same day to get through local qualifying for the U.S. Open and avoid a 7-for-3 playoff by a single shot? That's what
Parker Coody, University of Texas senior, pulled off in 18-hole U.S. Open local qualifying at Forest Creek Golf Club in Round Rock, Texas. First pointed out by Ryan French from the Fire Pit Collective, Coody added another chapter to the Coody family golf lore.
Parker's grandfather Charles Coody earned a green jacket at the 1971 Masters, and his brother Pierceson and him returned to Texas's lineup after they broke their arms in an accident over the winter. Texas sits in 6th place in Golfweek's ranking after they helped deliver
The Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club in early April.
Starting his day on the back nine, the ace at the 160-yard 17th was his first and followed a birdie on 16 to get to 3-under par. Coody then holed his tee shot at the 190-yard par-3 eighth with a 7 iron. The Texas star needed both. He bogeyed his last hole of the day and qualified by a shot.
Texas Golf Association photo "That was nuts," Coody told GolfChannel.com. "A couple of the rules officials were giving me a hard time about it, like, 'You've got to buy your group a pair of shoes or something.'"
Chandler Phillips won the qualifier at 5 under, with Coody the only amateur to advance from Forest Creek.
For Coody, the pair of aces were the sixth and seventh of his career. Coincidentally, his most recent before today was on the same day -- May 9, 2017.
"I got a memories notification from Snapchat after the round and one of them was a video of me pulling the ball out of the hole exactly five years ago today," Coody told AmateurGolf.com.
Next for Coody and the Longhorns is the NCAA Norman Regional where they'll be up against the rival Sooners at Oklahoma's home course, Jimmie Austin Golf Club.
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ABOUT THE
U.S. Open Local Qualifying
18-hole stroke play qualifier open to male amateurs
with a handicap of 0.4 and below. Players who
advance
will get to choose their top three sectional qualifying
sites. The number of qualifying spots will depend on
the size of the field.
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