Aces wild: 2 players score 1 in SKCC practice

Jeremy McGatha (pictured) and Marcus Harrell both made holes-in-one during Sunny King practice rounds this week.

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

SILVER LAKES – Apparently, aces have been wild in the practice rounds of the Sunny King Charity Classic.

Two of the projected contenders for this year’s 36th annual Classic title – both multiple past champions — made holes-in-one this week at various venues in the rotation.

Marcus Harrell aced the 148-yard 16th hole at Anniston Country Club Thursday. The day before, Jeremy McGatha aced the 160-yard 17th hole at Cider Ridge.

Both players used a 9-iron. And for both players it was their seventh all-time ace.

“It’s always fun to make a 1,” Harrell said. “The weird part about it is I didn’t know it was in; you can’t see the hole or anything.

“I’m looking over the green because I have no idea where the ball is and then I hear (partner) Cory (Etter) yelling it’s in the hole – and, sure enough, it was.”

On McGatha’s ace, the ball bounced once and spun left into the cup. His shot was witnessed by partner Brennan Clay, Matt Rogers, Jason Johnson and Lee Waldron.

Had either of them waited until the tournament began to make the ace, they would have cashed in on a big prize – on some holes as much as $20,000 toward a new car. Instead, it probably cost them money in the 19th hole and left them only the satisfaction of hitting one of the game’s iconic shots.

“I called my dad as soon as I made it – he works at Sunny King – and asked if I could take the prize or not,” Harrell said. “His statement was you could have, but you just did it a few days early.”

Harrell and his partner almost struck gold a second time Thursday. After they finished playing at Anniston CC, they drove over to Silver Lakes for a few holes where Etter hit the flagstick on Heartbreaker No. 4.

“We thought it went in,” Harrell said. “We heard it hit the pin and it wound up six inches from the hole.”

Al Muskewitz is Content Editor/Senior Writer of East Alabama Sports Today. He can be reached at musky@wrightmediacorp.com.

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