The ace in the pack

The big guns are only just teeing off, but the Hero Dubai Desert Classic has already witnessed a little bit of history as Dubai Golf’s Communications & Marketing Manager Will Tickell landed his first-ever holein-one, upstaging playing partner and Hero Cup star Antoine Rozner at Emirates Golf Club.

Playing in the Motivate Media Group team in the Tuesday Pro-Am alongside Rozner, Motivate’s David Fairservice and Golf Digest Middle East’s Oktoberfest champion Michael Harradine, Will’s magical moment occurred on the fourth hole (his 13th after teeing off from hole 10) — and Rozner called it all the way.

“It was pretty funny because David hit his shot pretty close and was looking good for nearest-to-the-pin,” the Frenchman said. “Then Will shows up and as soon as he hit it I said: ‘Uhoh, maybe he’s gonna beat you. I think that is going in.’” Not feeling upstaged in the slightest, the world No. 147 added: “It was nice and he has given me a few ideas for the week.”

Still basking in his moment, Will described the ace.

“Fourth hole. Majlis Course. A bit into the wind at around 156 yards,” the 29-year-old, who has been playing golf for 15 years, said. “I kept changing between a six and seven iron and went with the six, which was a good decision in the end. It was funny when Antoine called it in the air and I thought they were having me on. But to get a first hole-in-one is fantastic. I have been playing long enough, so it is about time.

“I will be treasuring this ball. As is usually the case, it is not the best ball and has a few marks and scuffs on it, but it is a very special one now.”

David, who missed out on that nearest-the-pin prize, saw the funny side. “The weather was perfect, and we had a few surprises. I saw my first holein-one and typically it came to beat me closest to the pin,” he laughed. “I thought I had it, but there you go!”

“It is the first hole-in-one I have ever witnessed,” he said. “Antoine called it off the clubface and his caddie Patxi got the binoculars out just to check what had happened. As we approached the green, we got further confirmation — if it was needed — from the players on the adjacent seventh green.”

Thursday