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Sharon Lemelman has found a rather amazing cure for some putting issues.
She is simply knocking the ball in the hole.
The 57-year-old scratch golfer is on a once-in-a-lifetime kind of roll, with a total of four hole-in-ones in the past 11 months.
The odds of a golfer making a hole-in-one are about 12,500 to 1.
The odds of two aces in one week, three in a span of two months and four inside a year?
And all at the same course?
Astronomical, but it can happen, as Lemelman can attest.
“It’s amazing, almost surreal,” she said. “It’s like God is just kicking them into the hole.
“One is fun, two is amazing, three is miraculous.
“Four? It’s doubly miraculous.”
A member at Champion Hills Country Club in Hendersonville, Lemelman has won the club championship each of the last two years.
All four aces have come at the highly-regarded Tom Fazio design, including:
* 5-hybrid on the par-3, 134-yard fourth hole on Aug. 30 of last year.
* 7 iron on No. 4 on June 3.
* 7 iron on the 144-yard par-3 ninth hole on June 7.
* 6 iron on the 155-yard par 3 11th on July 27.
A native of Canada who competed collegiately at the University of South Florida, Lemelman played professionally on tours in the U.S. and Europe for seven years.
She eventually became a head pro at courses in Florida, then retired and moved to Champion Hills with her husband several years ago.
Before her recent tear of aces, she had four-hole-in ones earlier in her career, but the last was about 20 years ago.
The all-time record for women, at least among pro golfers, is believed to be Hall of Fame member Kathy Whitworth with 11.
The all-time record is believed to be the 51 aces recorded by Mancil Davis, a golf pro from Texas.
Lemelman said all four recent aces were well-struck shots that found the hole from pin placements on the right side of the greens.
“The ball just keeps disappearing into the hole,” she said with a laugh. “None of them flew in the cup; they all rolled in.”
She admits that having so much amazing success on par-3s lately has created some unrealistic expectations.
“I am setting my expectations pretty high now. I can’t help it,” she said.
“I’ve always tried to aim at the stick. Putting has never been a strength of my game, so I always try to hit it close.”
There have been witnesses to all of her aces, the last coming during a member-guest at Champion Hills.
Tradition dictates that players who have an ace are required to buy the drinks afterward at the 19th hole, and Lemelman said she is fortunate that she has hole-in-one insurance with the club to avoid a costly bar tab.
“Some of the members are kidding me that I am turning them into alcoholics.”