Jonathan Thomson makes GIANT leap into golf’s history books as 6ft 9in Yorkshireman scores a hole-in-one to make the cut at The Open
- Jonathan Thomson recreated golf history with marvellous hole-in-one on Friday
- The Yorkshire giant made his ace on the 162-yard 16th hole at Sandwich in Kent
- That shot guaranteed that the 25-year-old would make the cut for the weekend
- Thomson battled leukaemia as a child and will now be among the biggest names
Yorkshire giant Jon Thomson recreated a piece of golfing history when he scored a hole in one to guarantee making the Open cut.
The 25-year-old from Sheffield, who stands 6ft 9in, made his ace on the 162-yard par three 16th, the ball rolling in after pitching on the greenside bank.
It was at this very spot in 1967 that Tony Jacklin made the first hole in one ever televised, at the Dunlop Masters event.
Jonathan Thomson recreated history with a magnificent hole in one at The Open on Friday
The 25-year-old made his ace on the 16th hole to guarantee making the cut for the weekend
The short hole is also well-remembered from the 2003 Open, as it is where Thomas Bjorn famously blew his lead by taking three to get out of the bunker.
Thomson had just bogeyed the 15th, but the two strokes gained ensured he made the cut.
He said later: ‘It’s just phenomenal. The roar, the shot, everything about that hole, it’s indescribable. It was a real booster because I was grinding out there, it wasn’t easy.’
Usually plying his trade on the Challenge tour, Thomson rarely enjoys the limelight. He is, however, easily spotted as the tallest man to gain a card for the European Tour, which he managed to do for 2018.
Thomson battled leukaemia as a child and will now be among the biggest names in the game
This is his Open debut after he finished second in the qualifying event at Hollinwell, where he is the attached professional. He is not someone who finds golf difficult to put into perspective after being diagnosed with leukaemia as a child.
From the age of seven to 12, he missed plenty of school before being given the all-clear. Already hooked on golf, he would spend a lot of time at Rotherham Golf Club, where his father worked.
Having made the hole in one, he birdied the 17th and finished with a 67 to put himself at two under par.