The odds of making a hole-in-one in golf are 12,500 to 1. If you’re a pro, the probability gets higher at 2,500 to 1.
Now imagine doing seven of them. At 12 years old.
That’s what Mona Sarines has so far accomplished. The last one done last Wednesday, 31 January at Eagle Ridge — 29 days after the previous one at Riviera.
People are wondering how she does it.
“I don’t actually feel it in my swing because I just do my normal swing. But in every practice round or tournament I play in, I always have this positive feeling that maybe I’ll get a hole in one,” Sarines told Tribune Golf.
That’s precisely saying that you really have to be good to achieve one. Because, just like what they say about writing, getting a million monkey to tap away with typewriters can’t produce a decent copy.
Tiger Woods had 20 hole-in-ones throughout his career. And there was study about golf courses which reported 10-15 aces each per year.
“To be honest, I don’t exactly remember the dates of my first three holes-in-one because I was still very young, though I remember all the venues. But for the rest of my holes-in-one, yes, I know very well all the details — exact dates and venues of those holes-in-one,” she said.
Using her Grindworks PCX 9-Iron and a Srixon Q-Star No. 1 ball, Sarines hit from the 115-yard in the White Tee of the Par 3 Hole 8 of Norman Course.
“Mona’s ball landed on a downhill slope left side of the back pin, and it just continued rolling to the right making its way into the hole like it was predestined to happen,” wrote her mother Armida in a Facebook post.
Almost six years ago, Sarines drilled in her first hole-in-one at the age of six. That was in the 10th of Pradera Verde during the IMG Junior World qualifiers.
She covered a total of 56 yards using US Kids 7-iron and a Srixon Lady No. 4 ball.
Because she’s too young to remember, Sarines said it wasn’t her most memorable ace.
“My most memorable hole-in-one so far is my fourth hole-in-one. This happened on 11 May 2023 during the JGFP Interclub Tournament which was held at the Eagles Ridge Golf and Country Club,” she recounted.
“This is very special for me because it was the first time I made a hole-in-one with my friends as my flight-mates. All of them celebrated with me and congratulated me. It was a really nice experience.”
What made it all the more unforgettable was that right after her ace, Sarines triple-bogeyed each of the next two holes.
“Perhaps I was still a bit shocked and distracted by our ‘celebration’ that’s why I made those triple bogeys I learned my lesson though — to calm down, get back to the zone and focus on my game again after making a hole-in-one.”
Naturally, Sarines would celebrate after each feat with her family. That includes father Arnold and siblings and fellow jungolfers Lisa and Vito.
“My family and I celebrate by buying a tub of ice cream and eating a delicious home-cooked meal. This is how simple we celebrate most of our special achievements and happenings in our family.”
Better keep that simple because at the rate Mona is playing, there will be more tubs of ice cream coming.
