Longest hole-in-one? Golfer aces 411-yard par-four hole

By Isobel Williams

A golfer has set what is believed to be a new record for Britain's longest hole-in-one — a staggering 411 yards.

Matt Vigurs aced the third hole at Great Barr Golf Club during a recent match.

The 32-year-old, who plays off a handicap of +1, hit his driver off the tee but could not find his shot when he reached the green.

After a few minutes searching he decided to have a quick look in the hole — and saw his ball.

Matt said: "It was really surreal. I just froze to start with. The lads ran over and we all belly slammed and high fived.

"It was a moment I will never forget for sure. It was brilliant. I think we were all shocked. Typically, the ball wouldn't go that far.

"It is just unheard of to get a hole-in-one really let alone on a par-four."

Matt says his average drive is about 300 yards but wind and hard ground helped him stretch out to 411 yards.

It is thought that he is now the holder of the record for Britain's longest hole-in-one — beating the previous effort by three yards.

Peter Vickerman aced the 408-yard par-4 seventh hole at Littlestone Golf Club in Kent in 2014.

This was named then as the record for Britain's longest hole-in-one by the BBC, surpassing the existing record of 393 yards — set in West Lancashire in 1972.

Matt, from Droitwich, Worcs., only returned to regular golf in February after eight years living abroad.

His hole-in-one — also known as an albatross — came in a scratch match at the Walsall golf club, playing with a friend against two others.

The four-ball found three balls when they got to the green of the hole, named Twin Oaks — but Matt's was missing.

They searched the bushes, around the fairway and over the back of the green but it was nowhere to be seen.

On a whim, Matt decided to check the hole and says his friends gave him strange looks for even checking.

He said: "At that point I looked a bit silly, so I thought I might as well check the hole — and there it was, nestled in the bottom.

"I had to take two or three looks. I couldn't believe it. They didn't believe me till I pulled it out of the hole and we just went mad!

"It was so weird — I couldn't concentrate for the next hole!"

Matt, who started playing golf aged 11, went on to win his match, and Droitwich Golf Club sealed promotion by winning the league on the same day.

The odds of getting an albatross — a score of 3-under-par — are estimated to be odds of 6 million-to-1, according to England Golf.

However, the odds of a hole-in-one from this distance even likely even slimmer.

Matt, who works as a product and training manager at McLaren, added: "We think it might be the longest which is quite cool actually. I think it might even be the longest in Europe.

"I have absolutely no chance of ever doing it again. It truly was a once in six-million shot."

The golfer, who tries to play three times a week, has kept the ball and hopes Great Barr might help him commemorate the achievement.

He said: "I'm trying to get in touch with Great Barr so they can give me a flag — I want to get it framed. They were talking about putting a plaque on the hole as well, which would be nice!"

Matt already had three aces to his name, including two as a junior at Gaudet Luce Golf Club.

Then, just weeks before his Great Barr heroics, he added another during the Droitwich Club Championships — a 6-iron from 191 yards on the par-3 15th.

He went on to win the 36-hole stroke play event in a playoff.

In June, he claimed the Worcestershire County Championship at Blackwell too.

James Crampton, championships director at England Golf, said: "We hear of holes-in-one all the time, but a 411-yard one — it's the stuff of golfers' dreams!

"It sounds like Matt is in the purple patch of his golfing life — and you have to enjoy these moments.

"At odds of 6 million to one for an albatross, the fact his was from such a distance has to be even greater!"