Hole-in-one the perfect ‘pick-me-up’ for Stephen

There comes a time in every sportsman’s life – amateur or professional – where they must choose to dig deep or give up and, on his day of glory, Dinas Powys’ Stephen Micklethwaite chose the latter to achieve every golfer’s dream of a hole-in-one.

Just like Michael Jordan’s legendary performance in game five of the 1997 NBA Finals – famously known as ‘The Flu Game’ – where, riddled with it, the famous Chicago Bulls player scored 38 points and led his team to victory, Micklethwaite, 55, who plays off 13, persevered manfully when he scored his ace on the 165-yard par-three 16th at his club, Brynhill.

He said: “I nearly didn’t get out of bed.

“I felt terrible with a flu virus, but managed to drag myself there.

“I didn’t score any points on the first two holes, but carried on and played fairly reasonably after that.

“I stood on the 16th tee with a seven-iron and struck it well – it was going straight for the green and the pin.

“The ball hit the green about six feet short of the flagstick and went straight in on the second bounce.

“It went in like a ‘rat up a drainpipe’ – it was travelling!

“I couldn’t believe my eyes, and my playing partners and I just cheered – what a great feeling.”

Like all members at clubs using Club Systems International software – which registers competition scores at HowDidiDo – Micklethwaite was rewarded for his memorable moment with a limited -edition, commemorative BOSS timepiece and membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1Club.