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St. Leo golfer hits two holes-in-one at Lake Jovita

 
Rob Wenning aced two par 3s while practicing at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club on April 3.
Rob Wenning aced two par 3s while practicing at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club on April 3.
Published April 23, 2013

Rob Wenning tries to play his home course of Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club about four times per week. He could play it every day for the rest of his life and never have a round like he did on April 3.

While practicing for the annual member/guest tournament, Wenning aced the par 3, second hole. Then he did it again on the par 3, 13th hole.

Two holes-in-one in the same round. The odds of doing that are about 67-million-to-1.

"It's pretty exciting,'' said Wenning, of St. Leo.

The first ace came on the second hole. It is a 190-yard hole with a few bunkers protecting the green. Wenning, 67, knocked his 3-hybrid club to the front of the green, where it rolled about 20 yards into the cup.

"I bent down to pick up my tee and I heard the guys shouting for it to go in the cup,'' Wenning said. "I looked up just in time to see it go in the hole.''

The 13th hole played 124 yards uphill with a marsh area in front of the green. Wenning hit an arcing nine iron that never bounced.

"The second one was actually a beautiful shot,'' Wenning said. "It was tracking for the hole all the way. I jokingly said, 'Go in the cup,' while it was in the air. It landed right in the hole with a big thud.''

On the par 3, 17th hole, Wenning's shot from 161 yards was rolling toward the hole before stopping 4 feet short. He was 4-under on the four par 3s.

"After the second one I started thinking about my score,'' said Wenning, a 10 handicap who usually shoots in the mid 80s. "I can't make two hole in ones and shoot 90. I shot a 79.''

Wenning, recently retired from his job in publishing, is a former member of Avila Golf and Country Club in Tampa. He has aced all four of Avila's par 3s. His holes-in-one at Lake Jovita are the fifth and sixth in his playing career.

"I've never seen (two aces in one round) happen,'' said Leo Cadden, head professional at Lake Jovita. "It's pretty amazing.''

Traditionally, a player with a hole-in-one buys drinks in the clubhouse afterward. But when Wenning returned to the clubhouse, there were no patrons at the bar. So one of his playing partners, John Tedesco, offered to buy him four Powerball lottery tickets.

"I got two numbers right on one of the tickets,'' Wenning said. "Oh well.''