Bob West Chip Shots: PA’s Thad Borne sinks 1st ace in 50 years of golfing

Published 12:19 am Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Thad Borne of Port Arthur delivered himself the best Christmas present any golfer could have on his wish list — a hole in one. In the 69-year-old Borne’s case, the holiday ace was even more special because it was his first in 50 years as a golfer.

The shot Borne will never forget was struck on Dec. 20 with a 9-iron from 110 yards on the 7th hole at Babe Zaharias. Witness to the hole in one were John Guidry and Frank Jackson.

“I saw it all the way into the cup,” said Borne. “It was exciting. After all these years I’d pretty much given up hope on making one.”

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Unless another golfer scores an ace in the next few hours after this writing, Borne will have the distinction of authoring the last Zaharias hole in one of 2019 and the final ONE of the decade…

Mild late December weather kept things busy in the 2 ball competitions played at Zaharias. Except for the club being closed on Christmas there was a game nearly every day of the holiday period.

The team of Mark Lawson, Larry Johnson, Wes McDonald and Dan Flood won the front nine in the Super Saturday 2 ball by posting a blistering minus 8. On the back, the foursome of James Shipley, Cap Hollier, Dan Harrington and Mark Osborne prevailed with minus 4…

Ties were the order of the day in the Friday 2 ball.

On the front, teams captained by Craig Geoffroy, Dwayne Morvant, Gene Jones and Earl Richard all finished at the minus 4. Jones’ team, which included Don MacNeal , John Jessen and Keith Marshall tied the back at minus 1 with the team of Ron LaSalle, Gary Fontenot, Mark Osborne and Pete Reobroi…

The Thursday 2 ball saw a front 9 tie at minus 2 between the team of Geoffroy, Rick Pritchett, Larry Foster and Cole Lee and the team of Keith Mullins, Ed Holley, Wayne Glover and Marshall. Mullins’ team won the back with minus 5…

In the Tuesday, Dec. 24, Senior 2 ball, the team of MacNeal, Charles Leard, Jessen and Bob West won the front with minus 5. The back saw the team of Kenny Robbins, Fontenot Troy Touchet and Marhsall prevail at minus 3…

The Monday, Dec. 23rd Senior 50 Plus 2 ball had the foursome of Richard, Morvant, Bill Hanley and Jordan Dubranski winning the front at minus 4. Minus 3 was the winning number on the back for the team of Mike Brown, Jessen, Jimmy Schexnyder and Foster . . .

In the Dec 21 Super Saturday 2 ball, the team of Joe Gongora, Borne, Touchet and Marshall authored a sweep. They won the front with minus 2 and the back in even par…

Taking the front nine in the Friday, Dec. 20, 2 ball at minus 3 was the team of Richard, Rufus Reyes, Harrell Guidry and Stewart Ellis. There was a tie at plus 1 on the back between the foursome of Robbins, Pritchett, Dan Chandler and Flood and the team of Brown, Rusty Hicks, Jeff Rinehart and Foster…

Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net.