'Downright unbelievable': Two golfers hit holes-in-one minutes apart at Payne's Valley

A record was set at Payne's Valley Golf Course earlier this month, as two golfers hit holes-in-one within minutes of each other.

Billye Hollister of Arlington, Virginia hit the first hole-in-one at the course's 19th bonus hole around noon on Thursday, Aug. 18. Only a few minutes later, Susan Stevens of Augusta, Georgia, made the same shot.

The odds of two people making an ace on the same hole on the same day are 1 in 17 million, according to Matt McQueary, director of golf and sales at Big Cedar Lodge.

Hollister's five-day golf trip to Big Cedar Lodge was his first time in Missouri. He was staying with a group of seven friends, playing about 36 holes each day.

He began playing around 14 years ago, at the age of 24. Hollister said it didn't take long to get "bit by the the golf bug." Today, he carries a three handicap, an excellent skill level. Golfers with a three handicap have a three over par per round.

It was around 8 a.m. on Hollister's fourth day when he loaded up with his friends to get started on their first round. The weather was less than ideal, he described.

"Our first three holes we played in an extremely dense fog, so much so you literally couldn't see where the ball was going," Hollister said. "I could have been talked into quitting, that's how bad it was. And I'm a golf nut, so I'll play in nearly any weather, but not being able to see your ball was pretty frustrating."

Hollister said the caddie reassured the men the fog would clear and by the fourth hole, it did.

Prior to the 19th hole, nicknamed "Big Rock at Payne's Valley," Hollister scored two birdies.

"I was joking with my buddy ... and he said, 'Billye, what if you got a hole-in-one on this one?' And I said, 'There's no way. If I finish birdie, birdie, hole-in-one on the 19th hole, I'll probably just put my clubs in a case and give the game up,'" Hollister recalled. "It was obviously tongue-in-cheek joking. You never expect to make a hole-in-one."

Hollister was using a golf ball special to him, a Pinehurst.

Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in North Carolina. Located in the resort is Pinehurst No. 2, a course that has hosted more golf championships than any other course in the country. Hollister said Pinehurst is special to him because he visits it each year with his father and it's home to the Payne Stewart statue.

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The four-foot bronze statue depicts Stewart during the final round of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Stewart was a professional golfer from Springfield who won 11 PGA Tour events. He died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.

In addition, Payne's Valley is named after Stewart.

Hollister said he doubts the ball had anything to do with the hole-in-one, but he enjoyed the connection between Pinehurst resort, Stewart's statue and Payne's Valley.

At first, Hollister didn't realize he made a hole-in-one, he was still trying to spot where the ball landed when the caddie began to get excited.

"Our caddie went nuts, jumping around, screaming," Hollister said. "Once I realized (the ball) had gone in and I didn't see the ball on the green anymore, we all just went nuts."

Concluding the round, Hollister was greeted at one of the course bars, located near the 19th hole, by excited staff and fellow golfers. Upon his arrival, he was gifted a $1,000 Big Cedar Lodge gift card, signed Tiger Woods flag, two dozen Bridgestone Tour B golf balls and a $250 custom sand wedge.

It wasn't long after that Susan Stevens entered the bar, greeted with the same energy. Hollister said the two shook hands and got a photo together.

“Since (Payne's Valley's) opening, we’ve only witnessed a total of 12 aces on hole number 19 – until now," McQueary said in a news release. "For us to see two hole-in-one’s on the same day is incredible, but to see two on the same day and in a matter of minutes in downright unbelievable.”

Hollister said he doesn't typically believe in fate, but there were several components to the trip that added up in odd ways.

Initially, Hollister did not intend to go on the trip. It was in June when he was asked to join after someone else was unable to attend.

In addition, the last name of the cameraman who got Hollister's hole-in-one on video is Hollister. On top of the two matching last names, Payne's Valley is located in Hollister, Missouri.

"I don't know another Hollister outside of my family," he said. "It almost seems like this was meant to happen."

Opening in September 2020, Payne's Valley Golf Course is the first public golf course designed by golfer Tiger Woods and his golf course design firm TGR Design. The golf course is a part of Big Cedar Lodge, founded by Bass Pro Shops CEO Johnny Morris.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Golfers hit holes-in-one minutes apart at Payne's Valley 19th hole