One stroke from his driver was all it took Mackenzie Gibson to hole-out on the ninth hole of Chisholm Park Golf Club on Monday night. Photo / Gerard O'Brien
Mackenzie Gibson has just tasted perfection - and it was pretty sweet.
Gibson, 19, hit a rare albatross - a hole in one on a par four - on the ninth hole at the Chisholm Links course on Monday night.
One of the most picturesque in New Zealand, the hole, known as Lawyers Head, is 335m from the white tees to the green.
Gibson admitted he hit his driver wood well.
''I gave it a great rip. I had a bit of a down wind but nothing out of the ordinary for Chisholm,'' he said.
''I saw it land and it was probably going to be on the green.
''There was a group on the green and they went a bit mental so I thought it was pretty close.''
He walked up to the green with his party and saw the impossible became the possible - he had landed a one in a million shot.
''It did not really sink in straight away.''
He has previously hit a hole in one, on a par three, but that was in practice.
An albatross is truly rare. Tiger Woods has never recorded one in tournament play and there have only been 18 in the four golfing majors.
Gibson, playing in an ambrose competition, did it on what is ranked the second-hardest hole on the course.
The celebrations afterwards were pretty quiet for the second-year commerce student, who plays off a four handicap.
He was playing with his father Gary, and said it was pretty special to share the moment with him.
