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93-year-old gets first hole-in-one in his final round of golf ever

By Daniel Wilco
Published on
93-year-old gets first hole-in-one in his final round of golf ever

Never give up on your dreams.

After nearly 70 years of playing golf, a 93-year-old Ohio man got his first-ever hole-in-one in April, according to the Zanesville Times Recorder.

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The shot came on the 152-yard third hole at Green Valley Golf Course in Zanesville, where Ben Bender teed off with a 5-wood.

When we reached out to the course, an employee said that while they usually get five or six aces in a year, most come on hole No. 16, a 73-yard Par 3.

Here's what the third hole — where Bender notched his ace — looks like:

The 93-year-old has hip bursitis, and after basking in the glory of his hole-in-one, his hip started to bother him, forcing him to call it a day afer just a couple more holes. He decided it would be his last round of golf ever. Not a bad one to go out on.

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"I'd come close to some hole-in-ones, but this one was level on the green before it curved towards the hole and went in," Bender said to the Times Recorder. "I was in awe watching it. I played a few more holes, but my hips were hurting and I had to stop. It seemed the Lord knew this was my last round so he gave me a hole-in-one."

Bender apparently started playing golf when he was 28, after he bought clubs and a bag for from the manager of a shoeshine shop for just $50. When living in Florida, Bender began playing six days a week, slowly working down to a 3-handicap.

"I was lucky to play golf this long, but I never expected (a hole-in-one)," he said to the Times Recorder. "It was the last time I was able to play, and I think God had a hand in this. I loved the game and hate to give it up, but I can't play forever."