By JARED DENNIS jared.dennis@wanganuichronicle.co.nz A hole-in-one is often a once in a lifetime experience for most golfers, yet Marton's Jenny Ritchie has just recorded her eighth. Playing in the opening day tournament at Marton Golf Club, Ritchie used a four-iron to ace the par three 17th hole. The tournament was Canadian foursomes,meaning players take alternate shots after they tee off, which meant her partner was slightly annoyed, in a joking sort of way. "He said 'now I don't get to have a putt'," Ritchie said. It was the seven handicapper's second hole-in-one on her home Marton course, with the others coming at Belmont, Pahiatua and Kimbolton. The fifth hole at Belmont has definitely been Ritchie's most lucrative, with four of her ace's coming there. Even more remarkable was the two she recorded in consecutive days on the fifth, with the first coming on January 31 1999, the last day of the last millennium, and the second coming on January 1 2000, the first day of the new millennium. Ritchie has been playing the game for 40 years and recorded her first hole-in-one as a 17-year-old on the Kimbolton nine-hole course. She said even with seven aces to her name, the eighth was still a thrill. "I can't believe it's actually happened again.
