GCRO gets an ace

MARION - When Travis England walked up to the 16th tee Friday morning, his dad told him it was the nicest hole on the course. England's father, Jay, caddies for him each year at the Greater Cedar Rapids Open and said he just likes the hole's layout.

It's safe to say Hole 16 will remain an England family favorite.

The 23-year old former St. Ambrose golfer hit the first hole in one in tournament history, according to co-founder Joe DiNucci.

“It was perfect 6-iron yardage. I hit a little draw and it never left the flagstick the whole time,” England said. “It one-bounced and went in. It was just sort of shock after that. I dropped my club and kind of laughed. I looked over at my dad, and he was all excited.”

“As soon as he hit it, it was on line,” Jay said. “You didn't know it was going to go in, but you could tell he hit a really good shot. That's the first time I've ever seen one. To have Travis be the one to hit it, it's very exciting.”

It wasn't England's first ace. He hit one in a practice round in Texas, but it was his first in a tournament setting when strokes are counted and prize money is at stake. He said having experienced one before helped him stay calm and focused for the final two holes. He finished the round with a 3-under par 69, which was good enough to tie for fourth place. England was three strokes behind Marion native Bill Hoefle, who took the first-day lead with a 6-under par 66.

“It's going to help a lot. You go from 1 under to 3 under just like that,” he said. “When you hit a good shot like that, it gives you good visuals for the next couple days.”

“It's a huge deal,” DiNucci said. “I don't remember anyone hitting one in this tournament. That's how rare it is. Just remarkable. His mother and father are walking the course with him, and I think it's just terrific.”

England finished an excellent career with St. Ambrose in 2012. He was named to the 15-member NAIA All-North Region team as a senior. He moved to Lewisville, Texas, to play on the Adams Golf Pro Tour and try to break into the PGA Tour. He has averaged 72.88 in eight rounds on the tour but said he has missed his last four cuts by one stroke.

“It's been a learning experience,” he said. “It's been frustrating at times, but I'm right there. It's just a matter of breaking through, finding something to get it going.”

A hole in one could be exactly that. England hopes it will propel him to a victory. And he's also glad his dad was there to see it.

“It was pretty special for him to be there,” he said. “For us to share that moment together was pretty cool.”