The consensus is that a professional golfer will have a hole-in-one every 3 000 attempts. That's one ace every 750 rounds. Here we look at 10 South Africans who have been luckier than that!

The first televised hole-in-one in South Africa came at CCJ Woodmead in 1986, when Player aced the 4th hole. It was one of three Nissan Skins Games that Player won in South Africa. Player has recorded 37 holes-in-one over his career. His 36th hole-in-one came in 2023 at the age of 87. 'I wonder if that's the first PXG with a hole-in-one,' he asked. He has also made multiple aces at The Masters' par-three competition.

He won an Audi TT after his pulled 4-iron shot to the 206m 15th at Houghton struck bluegum trees on the left of the green, and rebounded into the hole. Kingston watched his ball clatter against the trees and walked off the tee. What he did not see was his ball bouncing on to the green, before it rolled gently against the pin and dropped into the cup. 'I heard a lot of clapping from down at the green. I couldn't believe it. I was disgusted with my tee shot.'

The Postage Stamp 8th hole at Royal Troon is the shortest on the course, but really tricky! Having been talked into using a wedge by his caddie Ricci Roberts – Els had favoured a 9-iron – he hit the ball high and watched as it landed softly 18 inches from the hole, bounced once and then spun back to rest against the pin before dropping into the hole. There have only been four aces at this hole in Open history.

On the 170-yard 16th hole at Augusta, which had earlier produced aces for Shane Lowry and Davis Love III in the final round, Oosthuizen made one of the quirkiest holes-in-one in Major history. Oosthuizen's ball knocked playing partner JB Holmes's and the deflection sent Louis' ball into the hole. 'I saw my ball pitch in a good spot and then I saw JB's ball and I thought, "Oh, there goes the chance of a one",' Oosthuizen said.

Ritchie thought he'd won a Jaguar F-Type car when he tamed the 17th hole in the opening round at Randpark. He aced the 222-yard hole, using a 7-iron, with a billboard behind him on the tee box proclaiming that the 'First hole-in-one wins a Jaguar F-Type'. His tee shot landed on the green, bounced three times and rolled into the hole. Unfortunately, the prize was only up for a hole-in-one over the third and fourth rounds.

Garrick Higgo was in a class of his own as he enjoyed his first professional hole-in-one and a third DP World Tour win, this time by six shots. The left-hander had a moment of perfection at the short 7th at Golf Costa Adeje in Tenerife, his 9-iron pitching just short of the pin, 166 yards away, and hopping into the cup for an ace.

On the par-three 4th hole, Daffue's tee shot hit the green and found the cup. Because he hadn't seen his tee shot land anywhere near the pin, Daffue was unaware of the situation and went off in search of his ball off the green. 'Why didn't you guys say anything?' he joked to those spectators standing next to the green when a volunteer told him it had gone into the hole.

A rare feat! The 16th hole at Marco Simone had established itself as a true risk-and-reward par four. Du Plessis made a remarkable hole-in-one. Using a 3-wood he achieved a ball speed of 167mp/h and the ball carried for 278 yards. It was part of the Driveable Par 4 Challenge, a nearest-the-pin competition held during the tournament to showcase the risk-and-reward nature of the hole.

She dunked her tee shot on the par-3 15th hole from 188 yards with her 5-hybrid to record her first-ever hole-in-one on the LPGA Tour and the 10th ace of her life. 'I hit literally actually a perfect shot,' Pace said. 'I was staring at it, staring at it, took the break, everything. I was like, "Get in". I thought it stopped, and I turned away. My sister was like, "It's in". So, it was really nice. On a difficult hole as well.'

TYRONE WINFIELD | SUNSHINE TOUR