BELLEAIR, FLORIDA | The giveaways are common, like big checks and members wearing matching jackets during trophy presentations. Almost every week somewhere on a major tour, a car sits perched on a platform at a par 3, ready to be given to a player who jars a tee shot. If you were watching golf in 2007, you likely remember Rich Beem climbing onto the roof of Nissan Altima after one-hopping a short iron into the hole at the Nissan Championship. Mercedes gives its latest models away for aces at different spots throughout the year. And the Kia Classic always had a sedan or an SUV up for grabs on a par 3.
But what happened at Pelican Golf Club last week was entirely next level.
On the Biarritz par-3 12th hole, which the LPGA Tour played at 150 yards over water, the Pelican Women’s Championship gave away two-year leases on new Lamborghini Huracáns for every ace of the week, including in the pro-ams. Base sticker on those things starts at $290,000. The ones on display at Pelican retailed at a good bit north of that.
They gave away three of them.
The first came on Monday during the pro-am when Austin Ernst hit an 8-iron from 147 that pitched 12 feet short of the hole and rolled directly in for a 1. “I hit it barely off the toe, but it was right online and landed on the green and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s got a chance,’ ” said Ernst. “And we saw it roll out and I was like, ‘Did that just go in?’ ”
On Friday, it happened again. Same distance, different hole location. With the pin cut on the left side and within a pace or two of a false front that sent more than a few balls back into the water, Pavarisa Yoktuan one-hopped an 8-iron shot into the hole.
“When I hit it, it was good, so I was like waiting for it to land,” Yoktuan said. “And then I didn’t even know it’s going to go in. It just carried 4 or 5 feet in front of the cup. Then I was almost turned around and I heard the roar. I was looking for it and then it just went in. Then I just went crazy.”
There was only one downside. Organizers wanted to get some video of each of the winners driving the cars a few feet. But none of them had driven a car with a manual transmission.
If that wasn’t enough, on Sunday Australian Su Oh, playing in the first group out and hitting the first shot of the day on the 12th, jarred a 7-iron from 157 yards to win the third Lambo of the week.
“It was kind of an awkward number actually,” Oh said. “You can never really tell where the wind is on that hole. I was like, it must be a little bit downwind. So, I could have possibly smashed an 8-iron if it was a bit warmer. But I hit a smooth 7. Haven’t really been hitting great shots on that hole, but it just suited my shape (today), like a high draw. I hit it and then I was like, ‘Oh, that felt pretty good. Looks pretty good. Stay good.’ And it went in.”
Despite giving away six years of leases on a million dollars of cars, tournament sponsors could not have been happier. For the first time, NBC streamed every shot on the 12th on the Peacock app, piping in commentators like Phil Blackmar, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Morgan Pressel for a couple of groups each. They also used Amy Rogers to do walk-and-talks with players as they went from the tee to the green, another first for a women’s event.
“My first stick shift,” Oh said. “Wish me luck. Hope they have good insurance.”
Steve Eubanks