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Short Shots

Tree Hole

Saturday the 21st was a great day for playing golf. Dustin Fritsch, who was in my foursome that day, hit his ball over the green on the par-five number 16 at Peninsula. We all searched a bit for his ball until Dustin found it cleverly hidden in the notch of this tree. He actually attempted to hit out rather than take an unplayable. I was amazed it only took him two tries – not bad. The following day, Fritsch was part of the winning foursome at Peninsula’s Big Cup.

First “One” at Seventy-One

At the young age of 71, Betty Chomeau of Ephraim recorded her first hole-in-one last Thursday, May 19. For an accomplished golfer, she waited a cruel and unusual amount of time, but the timing of her first ace could not have been better.

Chomeau was competing with 90 other women in the two-day Missouri Women’s Golf Association Senior Tournament at Glen Echo in St. Louis, when she approached number 11, a 127-yard par-3. It was an elevated green with the pin tucked in the back. It was cold, windy and rainy, and playing more like 140 yards.

She knew she hit a good shot with her 3-hybrid, but never really saw it go in. Her playing partners did, but Chomeau had a hard time believing them.

“I was convinced that I would never get a hole-in-one,” remarked Chomeau.

Local news camera crews happened to be covering the event, as the tournament is quite popular in that part of the state. Chomeau was interviewed because of her ace and learned later that she appeared on the Channel 5 news that night, but has yet to see her cameo.

Ironically the late Alice Green, an excellent golfer (a past champion of the Resorters’ Tournament at Peninsula), and a good friend to Chomeau, also recorded her first ace at the age of 71.

“I just kept thinking about Alice and how neat it was that we both got our first hole-in-one at 71,” said Chomeau.