DP World Tour Pro Makes Two Holes-In-One In Same Round

Dale Whitnell achieved the remarkable feat of making two holes-in-one during the same round at the South African Open on the DP World Tour

Dale Whitnell made two holes-in-one in South Africa
(Image credit: Instagram @dpworldtour / Getty Images)
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One of the greatest achievements in golf is making a hole-in-one, but how about making two, in the same round, in a professional tournament? Step forward Dale Whitnell.

The Englishman managed to bag not one but two holes-in-one during the second round of the DP World Tour's South African Open Championship in one of the most incredible 18 holes of golf on record.

Whitnell's nine-under round of 63 featured a blazing start, seven birdies, an eagle, two holes-in-one, a double bogey and an air shot.

The 36-year-old holed out from 185 yards with a 7-iron on the second hole, before repeating the feat at the short 12th hole when he bagged his second ace of the round with a wedge from 128 yards.

After a level-par 72 in the opening round, Whitnell made perhaps the best start you'll ever see in a professional tournament, as he followed a birdie on the first with his hole-in-one on the second - before adding an eagle on the par-5 third just for good measure!

That helped Whitnell to turn in 30 after two more birdies on eight and nine - and his back nine was just as eventful as he started birdie-bogey-ace with that second hole-in-one on the 12th.

Whitnell was not done there as he managed to card two more birdies down the stretch, which created hopes of him becoming just the second player to shoot 59 on the DP World Tour.

However, his crazy round took another turn as he threw in a double bogey on the 16th, thanks to an air shot in the rough, to add further mayhem to one of the most eye-catching rounds you'll ever witness.

He managed to recover from that air shot with a rare regulation par on 17 before finishing off with a birdie on the last to shoot 63 - and a rollercoaster of extremes at that.

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Whitnell's two aces took the total to seven holes-in-one on the Race To Dubai already this year, adding to those from MK Kim at the Australian PGA Championship, Adrien Saddier and Daniel Gavins at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Pablo Larrazabal at the Bahrain Championship and Eddie Pepperell at the Magical Kenya Open.

It's not the only time a pro has made two holes-in-one in the same round either, as Whitnell emulated Open champion Brian Harman who also bagged two aces in one round at The Barclays in 2015.

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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