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A 90-year-old amateur golfer is celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime moment as he hit his very first hole-in-one just a day after his milestone birthday. (See the video at the top of this article.)
John Payne, who said he’s been playing golf for three decades, achieved the feat on July 18 at a local golf course in the U.K.
The longtime player nailed the shot on the sixth hole, a 200-yard par three, despite dealing with deteriorating eyesight.
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“I didn’t realize that it had gone in,” Payne told news agency SWNS.
“It’s 200 yards from the tee to the hole. I never imagined I’d get it in one.”
Proving that age is no barrier to success, John Payne, shown above, hit his first hole-in-one at 90 years old just a day after celebrating his milestone birthday. (Tom Maddick / SWNS)
Payne said he hit the ball using his driver, and watched as it struck the downslope of a bunker before rolling straight into the cup.
“When I was told I’d hit the perfect shot, I felt magic,” he said. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime shot.”
Payne had been playing that same course for 30 years without ever scoring an ace, SWNS reported.
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“Some people have never had one in their life and I can see why,” he said.
“I’ve been playing for 30 years and only just got one now. It’s a miracle because it is very difficult.”
Given his poor eyesight, Payne didn’t see the ball drop himself.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime shot.”
“You play with other people and their eyesight is much better than mine,” he said.
“They gave me a running commentary as the ball landed.”
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Payne took up golf in his 60s after retiring from a management career.
He now plays regularly with a close-knit group of fellow golfers, he said.
“I’ve been playing for 30 years and only just got one now. It’s a miracle because it is very difficult,” said the golfer about his hole-in-one achievement. (Tom Maddick / SWNS)
“When you’ve come to the end of your working life, you want to keep busy,” he said. “You want to be out and not cooped up.”
He added, “We play Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. It’s a nice little group of eight of us.”
While Payne maintains a club handicap of about 26, he said he doesn’t compete in official tournaments anymore.
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“I’m getting too long in the tooth for that,” he joked.
Beyond golf, Payne keeps active with twice-weekly gym sessions, something he says helps keep his joints mobile and his swing in check.
“Golf is important, but the gym is important for the movement side of things,” he said.
“We play Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. It’s a nice little group of eight of us,” said Payne. (Tom Maddick / SWNS)
“As you get older you need mobile joints,” he said.
“You need to be able to turn.”
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Payne celebrated his remarkable hole-in-one with his family, which includes 16 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, SWNS said.
Gurj Bowbanks, operations manager at the golf course, said everyone at the club was thrilled for him.
“I think we are all in awe of him, and he’s put us all to shame,” Bowbanks said, according to the same source.
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“We are really over the moon for him.”
Payne’s story has reportedly inspired fellow golfers — and reminded many that it’s never too late to achieve something extraordinary.