Surgeon gets thanked for 'ultimate shot'

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PLENTY of credit was given to his surgeon after Tony File achieved golf’s ultimate shot.

File sank his 7-hybrid tee shot on the 165-metre seventh hole at Gisborne Park.

It was only his third round since returning to golf after a hip replacement operation.

“I have to congratulate my surgeon,” said File, who was playing with regular golfing buddies Danny Boyle and Derek “Red” Craven.

His initially modest description of “how” was never going to wash.

“I hit the ball . . . it went in the hole,” File said.

In reality it was a “beautifully” struck shot, his ball bouncing short of the pin, rolling up and coming to a stop.

At first, they thought it was short of the hole.

But while File waited for Craven to play his second after a duffed tee shot, Boyle walked up to the green, took one look and shouted back: “It’s in the hole, it’s in the hole”.

The wind had been blowing and as it eased the flag moved backwards and the ball, which had been resting against it, dropped into the cup.

File, who played golf when he was younger but gave it away when he had a family, has been back on the tee for about the past 10 years.

The Tony File Roofing owner’s current Park handicap is 11 and while he rates this ace his career highlight, he has enjoyed a few other major achievements — the 2013 Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs alongside Jake Gisby; the 2014 Gisborne Park junior club championship crown; and the 2009 Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout pairs title with Boyle.