Texas Senior Makes Two Holes-In-One During US Open Qualifier

Parker Coody, a Texas Longhorn Senior, made two holes-in-one in the same round to advance through US Open local qualifying at Forest Creek Golf Club.

Speaking of the unthinkable, Coody told the Golf Channel: "That was nuts. A couple of the rules officials were giving me a hard time about it, like, 'You've gotta buy your group a pair of shoes or something.'"

Coody began his round on the 10th hole and played his first seven holes in a respectable 1-under par. The Texan arrived on the par-three 17th hole to discover it was a similar yardage to his second shot the hole prior, which he flew over the green. He made the necessary adjustments before stepping up and making the first of what transpired to be a historic pair of holes-in-one. 

"The angle was pretty much the same, so I thought just hit it a touch softer and judge the wind right," Coody said. "It lands a foot from the hole and goes in. I was pretty excited about that one."

The round proved to be difficult to gain momentum with the infamous Texas winds playing their part. This was evident throughout Coody's back nine where birdies were offset by bogies but that all changed when he arrived on the tee at the 190-yard par-3 eighth.

"It was really windy and the greens were really slow and grainy, and I wasn't really doing anything, so that was kind of frustrating," Coody said. "Coming off 7, my 16th hole, I had just missed a 6-footer for birdie, which I felt like I needed, and I get up on 8, and I'm like, 'Well, I need to start making something.' I needed to finish with a birdie or two because I was 2-under, and I checked scores after 7 and saw that 2 under was in a big playoff right now.

"I just hit a good 7-iron, started it a little bit out right and let the wind just bring it in, and before I know it, it disappears. That was complete shock when it happened."

Coody, who is the grandson of 1971 Masters Champion Charles Coody, signed for a three-under par 69 to claim one of five qualifying spots. Crucially, he finished just one shot ahead of a dramatic seven-way playoff for the final three spots.