He felt from the time the ball left the club it was a good shot after judging the wind coming from the West.

“I was lucky the wind was blowing just right because I very rarely hit a good shot,” said the modest Coombe.

He was playing the Stableford competition with Leon Sampson, Mark Dignan, Graham Bell and Allan Peters and after hitting a superb shot from the par 3, the little white ball disappeared from the black scrape.

Sampson had witnessed it and immediately jumped onto Coombe with excitement.

“He actually sent me to the ground, falling on top of me and everyone was jumping with excitement,” Combe said.

“I got seven points for that shot and didn’t score a point afterwards.”

His mother, Ada Coombe, who sadly died a month ago, was a 10 times Port Pirie Golf Club Champion and also won the North Western Championship six times.

“She was disappointed that I didn’t ever get my name on anything,” said Coombe.

“This would have made her happy, she would have been thrilled.”

He said that if it were possible “she probably had something to do with it”.

One of his prized possessions is a photo of a shot he recalls was “‘almost a hole in one” when the ball landed only a few inches from the hole.

But now he has the real thing and aims to keep the ball as treasured memorabilia.

Coombe has been playing golf for 25 years, “very poorly” he says, even though he is on a very respectable handicap of 17, but he considers his biggest handicap is himself.

“I just enjoy the exercise and the fun of playing with my partners,” he said.

This modest man was happy to have his story told because he said it is something he will one day be able to tell his grandchildren who are aged five, three, and seven months old.

However he has already received phone call from the five-year-old congratulating him.

Coombe, who is a little uncomfortable with all the accolades, admits that a very good or a very bad golfer could have a hole in one.

“It is really just pure good luck,” he said.

PHOTO: PERFECT SHOT...Tony Coombe hit a hole-in-one last Saturday in the Port Pirie men’s golf competition. He aims to keep the ball as treasured memorabilia.