New Jersey Golfer Sinks Two Holes-In-One In Same Round
PARAMUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- If you think your chances of hitting the Powerball jackpot are slim, a man in Bergen County, New Jersey recently hit the lottery for golfers.
What are the odds of getting two holes-in-one in one round of golf? CBS2's Jessica Borg spoke with 64-year-old J.J. Petrillo who did just that -- achieving something most golfers only dream of doing.
"Two is insanity," Petrillo says. "Anybody who plays the game understands."
The Emerson resident was playing with long-time friend Richard Janson at the Valley Brook public golf course in River Vale, where Janson earned the new nickname "the witness."
Janson witnessed Petrillo's second ace fly 145 yards over a water hazard within an hour over the first hole-in-one -- a 175 strike with wind in his face.
Petrillo even used the same ball.
"We just saw it hit the green, another bounce, and turn into the cup," Janson said. "You just couldn't believe it. We were overwhelmed."
Other amateur golfers who heard about the 12 handicap's feat are equally overwhelmed.
"Unbelievable," Ridgewood resident Sean Kennelly said. "It doesn't happen, even to the pros."
According to the National Hole-In-One Registry, the chances of getting two aces in one round is one in 67 million.
Petrillo says there's hope for everyone. By day he's a car salesman, and says he's been playing golf for 25 years.
"It forces you to relax and focus and to do those two things at the same time is nuts," he said. "That's why the game is nuts. It's a four letter word."
On Tuesday, fellow golfers at the Paramus Golf Course were ribbing Petrillo about his new-found fame.
"We're going to hear about this for a long time, unfortunately," Westwood resident Frank MacCormack said.
"He didn't buy anyone drinks at all," Janson joked. "So we won't let him forget that."
Petrillo says he hit a hole-in-one about 15 years ago, making his most recent ace the third in his lifetime.
