April 18, 2005

Golf Scene: How about back-to-back-to-back aces?

Not sure, but 27 trillion-to-one odds sounds like a once in a lifetime occurrence — at best.

That’s the number holeinone.com attached to three holes-in-one falling in a 10-minute span on the same course in Melbourne, Australia, last August.

Apparently it’s not just a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

The feat was reportedly accomplished at Antelope Greens Golf Course in Sacramento on Wednesday. Same hole. Same foursome. Three straight swings.

This amazing occurrence brings both awe and skepticism, reported Steve Pajak of the Sacramento Bee. News of the triple-ace traveled fast, reaching the "Today" show, and drew calls from representatives from David Letterman and Jay Leno.

Dave Schumacher didn’t get an ace, but was witness to Bob Fleming, 55, Marc Arcuri, 52, and Dan Condie, 46, accomplishing the unbelievable feat on the 115-yard, 15th hole of the par-58 course.

Fleming, who carries a 1.7 index and has been on the amateur scene for decades, was the third-place finisher at the 1998 Santa Cruz City Amateur. Arcuri figures his index is 5.

"If it was your average Joe coming in, I’d say you guys are full of it," Pete Ames, the course’s assistant manager, told the Bee’s Pajak. "But I happen to know these guys and have played a lot of golf with them. I’m 100 percent positive about it."

Naysayers or not, Fleming said he’ll relish the trio’s historic aces forever. "It happened. I was there," he told the Bee.

• Duke junior Nate Smith, formerly of Soquel High, closed with an even-par 72 and 1-over 217 total to tie for fourth place at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament at the Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point in New London, N.C. Sunday.

• Isaac Weintraub’s second-round 71 Friday wasn’t enough to help him make the cut after opening with an 80 at the Canadian Tour’s Northern California Classic at Brookside Golf and Country Club in Stockton. It was Weintraub’s first missed cut in three events.

• Corralitos’ J.J. Scurich, a standout freshman for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s men’s team, is unsure if he’ll compete in the fifth annual Apple City Amateur, scheduled for April 30 at Spring Hills Golf Course and May 1 at Pajaro Valley Golf Club.

Watsonville’s Bobby Powers, who played for Aptos High and San Jose State, signed up Friday. The Pajaro Valley employee won the inaugural event with a 5-under-par 138 total.

"I’d love to have J.J. there," said Powers, who was a senior at Aptos when Scurich was a freshman for the Mariners. "I’d love to be able to play with him. Obviously he’s playing real well. But I’m totally stoked. The field has gotten a lot better than when I played a few years back. That’s the beauty of it, the field is getting better and better."

Scurich won his first with a 138 and last year with a 140, surviving runner-up Rick Myers of Aptos on the final hole. Myers is also entered.

Salinas’ Dave Shipley won the championship flight at the second Apple City event, which is a sanctioned event by the Northern California Golf Association, with a 147 total.

Senior flight champion Dave Hemrick will try and defend his title.

Both courses are still accepting entries.

• Aptos’ Marc Lawless closed with a 73 for a 218 total to tie for 35th place at the AG Spanos California Tour’s event at Monarch Bay Golf Club in San Leandro on Friday.

• Santa Cruz’s Dodie Mazzuca shot a third-round 72 to finish with a even-par 213 total and a fifth place tie at the West Coast Ladies Golf Tour’s Kimel Chiro Classic at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz., Thursday.

Contact Jim Seimas at jseimas@santacruzsentinel.com.