Blind golfer hears the shot of her career

[HITaMANY]

LEHIGHTON, Pennsylvania (AP) - Sheila Drummond didn't need to see her hole-in-one. She heard it.
Drummond, blinded by diabetes 26 years ago, experienced the highlight of her golfing career Sunday, recording an ace on the 144-yard, par-3 fourth hole at Mahoning Valley Country Club.
Playing with her husband and coach, Keith, and two friends in a steady rain, the 53-year-old Drummond hit a driver on the hole. The shot cleared a water hazard, flew between traps and landed on the green, where it hit the flagstick before dropping into the hole.
"They were saying, 'It's a great shot,' and then I heard it hit the pin," Drummond said.
"For a hole-in-one, you have to hit it onto the green, so it's a little bit of skill and a lot of luck."

Sheila Drummond, who has been blind for 26 years, heard her hole-in-one hit the flagstick.
In 1999, Golf Digest said the odds of an amateur getting a hole-in-one are 1 in 12,750. That number, no doubt rises, for a blind golfer.
Drummond is a member of the board of directors of the United States Blind Golfers Association, and the organization believes she is the first totally blind female to record a hole-in-one.
"We've looked everywhere, and haven't been able to find anyone else," she said.
Drummond took up golf about 15 years ago, and three years later qualified as the first female member of the USGBA.
"I just try to do the best I can," said Drummond, who carries a 48 handicap with the USGBA. "I get nervous. But I wasn't nervous (Sunday), I just don't like playing in the rain."

[JEFF4i]

That's really, really cool.

[$2 Nassau]

Wow, amazing story.

[Bravo]

One of the greatest blind golfers of all time was a neighbor of mine and a member of our club for over 40 years - Charley Boswell. Charley won 28 blind golf championships and had a hole-in-one on our 14th hole. If any of you ever come here to play, I will show you the bronze plaque dedicated to Charley on the 14th tee. Additionally we have an inner room in our clubhouse dedicated to him with newspaper stories etc.

Charley was an All-American football player at Alabama and had a promising pro baseball career ahead of him when WWII called. While assisting a downed buddy, a shell exploded in front of him, blinding him completely. While recovering in a Pennsylvania war hospital, someone suggested he try golf and he did.

In those tournaments he won, he often broke 90, following all of the rules of golf, except that blind golfers have a "coach" who lines their club up behind the ball and describes the situation. Once they have done this, the coach walks away from the blind golfer and they swing just like anyone else. Of course, this includes putts too.

He lived two doors down from me for five years. He walked with his wife and knew every house on our street and who lived in it. As soon as you would say, "Hi Charlie"....he would immediately say, "Hi John, good to see you again!" Uncanny.

And he did indeed become one of Bob Hope's closest friends, raising millions for various charities - most prominently the Alabama Eye Foundation Hospital...his charity golf tournament was a smash for years. Never as big or as glittering as the Pebble BEach Pro-Am, but it had a lot of celebrities come and play.

One of the greatest people I have had the pleasure of knowing...

Dedication to Charles A. (Charley) Boswell

[clemsonhacker]

now thats a good story to bravo

[Turkish]

I can't even hit the ball with 2 eyes ... that's an amazing story!

[$2 Nassau]

Great story Bravo, really puts things into perspective.

[Libre]

Originally Posted by Turkish

I can't even hit the ball with 2 eyes...

Me neither. Maybe we should try closing them. Might hit an ace!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Libre

Me neither. Maybe we should try closing them. Might hit an ace!

Nanananana...
Ty Webb -

[SiberianDVM]

I believe the blind golfer can make a hole in one.

I don't believe Jacqueline Gagne has made 16 holes in one this year.

[Libre]

Now that I think about it, it doesn't seem to me any less likely for the blind golfer to ace, as it would be for anybody. I mean, I don't mean to take anything away from her - it's remarkable for a blind person to be playing golf at all. But an ace is blind luck (sorry) no matter who is playing.