English golfer Dale Whitnell delivered an unforgettable performance at the South African Open Championship on Friday, making two holes-in-one in just 11 holes.
A Spectacular Start
The 33-year-old had an electric start to his second round, beginning with a birdie at the first hole and following it up with an eagle at the par-five third.
But the real magic came at the second hole. Whitnell nailed a 185-yard tee shot with a seven-iron to sink his first hole-in-one of the day, which had fans in awe.
He wasn’t done yet—just 10 holes later, he repeated the rare feat at the 12th hole with a 50-degree wedge from 128 yards.
Recovery and Momentum
After a bogey at the seventh hole, Whitnell bounced back with three consecutive birdies from the eighth through to the 10th.
He finished the front nine with an impressive 30 strokes, putting him in great position for the remainder of his round. But the excitement didn’t stop there.
Despite a double bogey at the 11th hole, he made his second hole-in-one of the day on the 12th to move to eight-under par for the tournament.
Chasing History
With a par on the 13th and birdies at both the 14th and 15th holes, Whitnell surged to 10-under par.
He was just a birdie-birdie-birdie finish away from breaking the course record and becoming only the second player in DP World Tour history to shoot a 59.
Unfortunately, those dreams were dashed after a mishap at the 16th hole, where an air shot from the rough led to a double bogey.
A Strong Finish
Despite the setback, Whitnell finished with an impressive nine-under-par 63 for the day, adding to his opening round of level-par 72.
He heads into the weekend tied for the lead at nine-under for the tournament, firmly in contention to take home the trophy.
Van Tonder’s Near-Miss
Meanwhile, Daniel van Tonder almost joined Whitnell in the hole-in-one club when he came inches away from an incredible third ace of the day.
The South African Open, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, has a prize fund of $1.5 million, with plenty still at stake heading into the weekend.
Fans will be watching closely to see if Whitnell can keep his momentum going and secure his first-ever win at the prestigious event.