Frank Bensel Jr. makes back-to-back holes-in-one during 2024 U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club
Frank Bensel Jr. makes back-to-back holes-in-one during 2024 U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club
According to the national hole-in-one registry, the odds of two holes-in-one in one round are 67,000,000 to 1. While the odds of making back-to-back holes-in-one are not available (because, well, why are odds needed on something that is never going to happen), that rare occurrence took place Friday when Frank Bensel Jr. made two straight aces at the 2024 U.S. Senior Open during his second round at Newport Country Club.
Bensel's back-to-back holes-in-one are the first in a tour-sanctioned event and the first in a United States Golf Association championship. Only Don Bliss in the 1987 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship had made two holes-in-one in the same round before Bensel went back-to-back on Friday.
"I've played a lot of golf in my life, and just to see a hole-in-one in a tournament is pretty rare," Bensel said. "For me to have that, it was great. I'm out here trying to play well and make the cut. And, at the time, it was pretty important for me to do that. So the first one was great, so that got me under par for the day. And then the second one, I just couldn't believe it. To even think that that could happen was amazing.
"Hit the ball kind of in the right place, and then it just started rolling. I was kidding around, and I was like, 'OK, now let's go for another one,' and it happened to go in. Everybody just couldn't believe it. We all went nuts. I've got a lot of family and friends here and they were all going crazy, and the guys I played with, same thing, they couldn't believe it. It was amazing."
Bensel stepped onto the tee box at the par-4 3rd already over par in his round thanks to an early bogey. Debating with his son — who served as caddie — on the club selection, Bensel had final say and chose to wield a 6 iron. It proved to be the correct decision as Bensel hit a knock-down 6 iron that landed on the front of the green and ultimately found its way to the bottom of the cup.
The head professional at Century Country Club did not see his ball tumble into the hole, but he would moments later when he arrived at the par-3 5th. Because, guess what? Bensel did it again. This time from 203 yards, Bensel carded his second straight hole-in-one to etch his name into golf's history books.
The back-to-back aces got Bensel to 3 under on his round and 2 over for the championship, but that would be as good as it would get. Four straight bogeys to end his front nine saw him turn in 1 over before adding three more squares on his scorecard on the back nine for a 4-over 74 to follow up his opening 75.
Bensel may not have made a birdie in Round 2 and may not have a weekend tee time at Newport Country Club, but he does have story of a lifetime and can say he accomplished one of the rarest feats ever in the game of golf.