Callaghan in 7-iron heaven after perfect shot at Gisborne golf course

Michael Callaghan enjoys that moment of reaching into the hole to collect his ball after the perfect tee shot at the Awapuni Links course on Saturday. Callaghan sank a 7-iron on the second hole for his first ace.

It’s a question many a golfer has considered after firing their tee shot at the flag on a par-3, not seeing the ball land and there being no sign of it when they reach the green.

“Should I look in the hole first?”

Michael Callaghan was certainly thinking it as he approached the green on the second hole at the Awapuni Links course on Saturday.

And like many before him, he chose to look through the back of the green before seriously his hopes of perfection were significantly raised.

“I didn’t want to be that dork who has a look and the ball’s not in the hole.”

There was no sign of a ball in the rough beyond the green, so he “subtly wandered over” and checked out the cup.

Bingo. A career-first hole-in-one for the 43-year-old associate at BDO Gisborne accounting firm, and a long time coming for an unassuming golfer who took up the game as a Gisborne Intermediate School student.

“I started to think I’d never get one,” Callaghan said. He’s known to his mates as “Colt” – a nickname he believed came from his late father and Gisborne Park Golf Club stalwart Wayne Callaghan’s love of horses.

With the tee markers up the front on the second tee, Callaghan hit a 7-iron “flush”.

“I knew it would have landed soft. I had a quick look over the back, but couldn’t see it. Then I got a bit excited, went to the hole and oooh!”

Those playing with Callaghan – Mark Jefferson, Andy Abrahams and Glenn Morley – thought it was close, but they all missed the green, so had headed to their balls.

When confirmed, the celebration and congratulations followed and they and other golfers in the clubhouse enjoyed a 19th-hole shout after 7-handicapper Callaghan signed for a 5-over 77.

Callaghan, who has two teenage children, stopped playing for several years, then got back into the game when he gave away cricket and football.

He played junior representative golf in his day, but his best golf has come more recently, including a personal-best 74 that included an eagle-3 on the fifth at his home course last October.

He started his golf at the Park, where his father was the senior men’s club champion in 1972 and played representative golf up to Freyberg national interprovincial level.

Callaghan jnr hasn’t reached those heights although he is “99% sure” the old man never had an ace.

Callaghan bought the house he grew up in and retained his father’s man’s cave, known as “the John Wayne Room”, where his ace ball will have a special place among other sporting memorabilia.