Hole-In-One History At The US Senior Open After Back-To-Back Aces

Frank Bensel Jr created a piece of golfing history as he made holes-in-one on consecutive holes at the US Senior Open

Frank Bensel hits consecutive holes-in-one
(Image credit: Getty Images / X: @USGA)

Holes-in-one are hard enough to come by on their own, but Frank Bensel Jr achieved the almost impossible by recording two aces in back-to-back holes at the US Senior Open.

The Newport Country Club in Rhode Island features consecutive par threes on the fourth and fifth holes of the front nine, which in itself is a touch unusual.

What's even more unusual, surreal in fact, is that Bensel not only managed to ace the fourth, but then followed it up canning his tee shot on the fifth as well!

While two holes-in-one have been record by the same player in the one round, the odds have been reported as 67 million to one, trying to work out just what they'd be for consecutive holes just boggles the mind.

What's perhaps even more crazy is the fact that Bensel had struggled with a five-over round of 75 on day one, and also played badly either side of his two aces, making five bogeys in nine holes.

You can forgive him for his brain being a bit scrambled after the fifth hole though, as draining his tee shot from 203 yards just moments after doing exactly the same from 184 must have blown his mind.

So the fact he followed up back-to-back holes-in-one with four straight bogeys is understandable - maybe he was thinking of his post-round bar bill?

Getting a one on the scorecard is something every golfer craves, getting two has only happened to a select handful, but Bensel has now etched his name into golfing folklore with a feat that may never be repeated.

Paul Higham
Contributor

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.