It was the crowning touch, a perfect shot in the middle of an almost perfect nine holes of golf.
A gap wedge, sailing 125 yards, over a yawning front bunker, off the flag stick — and directly into the hole.
With the pin position middle left, the group on the tee couldn’t see Ricky Watson’s ball actually drop in for the ace on the par-3 fourth hole at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club.
But playing partners Stephen Jenkins and Noel Morris heard it and knew it was a great shot.
They were on hand Sunday morning to witness not only “the shot” but a remarkable nine-hole score of 30 by Watson. That’s 6-under par.
“We couldn’t see the hole behind the bunker but we heard it hit the flag and didn’t know it was in until we got up to the hole,” Watson, 34, told The Lake Report.
“It flew directly in without a bounce.”
Morris said the “unique sound of the ball hitting the hole or the pin was like a slam dunk. At this stage, we all looked at each other, but were not 100 per cent sure until we got to the hole.”
As one of their photos shows, the ball hit the back of the hole, leaving a divot and was wedged inside between the pin and the edge.
Almost as remarkable as “the shot” was what transpired just beforehand.
“After a mediocre start — par, bogey — something clicked (for Watson) on #3,” Jenkins said.
After his drive, he was about 200 yards out on the long par-5 and rolled his second shot onto the green, something many aspire to but few ever succeed.
“The ball rolled up to within 10 feet. Eagle. Then the ace on 4, where we heard the flag stick rattle but couldn’t see the hole. He flew it straight into the jar,” Jenkins said.
“From that point it was three effortless-looking birdies, 7-under for those five holes. He just missed a birdie on #8 and unfortunately just missed the green on #9.”
So Watson settled for pars on the final two holes. Neither of those last two birdie chances was all that close, he said.
“It was a real joy to watch,” Jenkins added.
“Noel and I just kept our usual banter going, some encouragement and some laughs, but as per protocol, we didn’t mention the score.”
Watson is a former assistant pro at the club and for years has been one of the best golfers around Niagara.
He plays nine holes with his buddies early each Sunday morning before heading off to work, which is why he didn’t carry on and play the back nine.
On a par-36 course, such a performance is extremely rare and reserved for only the most elite — and lucky — golfers.
Mark Derbyshire holds the 18-hole course record with a 64 (33-31), shot in the final round of the club championships on July 23, 1995.
He also has shot 29 on the course.
“It was in a match for the final of the President’s Cup,” Derbyshire told The Lake Report.
“Mike Maves and I. He shot a 31 and I shot a 29. He wrote about it in his book. I birdied 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9. He birdied 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8.”
As for Watson, he recalls shooting 30 once about “15-plus years ago” and now has six holes-in-one to his credit. This was his third one on #4 at the NOTL club.
His others have been at Hunters Pointe in Welland, Orange County National in Orlando and the old Peach Trees par-3 course on Niven Road in NOTL when he was about 10.
And early this Sunday morning, just as he’s done so many other times, he’ll be out with his buddies on his home course, sharing a few laughs and hitting it straight and long.
