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the hole the previous 4 rounds. However, his thoughts during his established, repetitive pre-shot
routine was not about how little he made the hole, but that … “”I’m due!” He was not nervous about
the hole stopping his chances to tie the world record for 18 holes or even break the number of holes in
one in a row. He was focused on hitting the ball firm enough to manage the incline and be on target.
Ace. Word had gotten out about the round and players were starting to watch. Interestingly, it was
Newport that let his progress leak to the playing field. Earlier, as he stepped off of hole 15, he looked
up and saw Vanette Block and flashed five fingers that were spread wide, 3 times – indicating he was
15 under after 15 holes. It was then that players started watching from afar and started moving closer
as Newport maintained his pace. Now, on hole 18, players started standing near the hole without being
a distraction. This would turn out to be advantageous for Newport. Now, looking at hole 18, and his
respectful peers watching the historical moment reach its apex – Newport quietly gasped an… “oh,s*#t
– what am I about to do?” As he placed his Callaway Supersoft #1 on the tee mat, he was not only
concerned about the momentous moment, but he was also aware of the possibility of customers
walking into his line of vision to play miniature golf or be entertained by the other attractions at the
venue. Or some may even walk over to the hole to inquire about the collection of people at the
moment he was about to putt…not knowing of the impact the simple unawareness would have on the
history of the sport…or for Greg Newport. Newport addressed the ball, then realized that the weight of
the moment had finally arrived. An interesting physiological phenomenon was present. As Newport
was shifting into his pre-shot routine, he noticed that his hands were uncontrollably shaking; however,
inside his mind and body, he was very calm. With presence of mind, Newport backed off. He started
to laugh at the contradicting symptoms – then thought about the whole situation and said to himself,
“This is cool!” During this time of recomposing and focusing, he never thought about missing. As he
moved back to the tee mat, he noticed that players had positioned themselves so that customers or
passer-byes would not interrupt his focus or stroke. With this aspect of his awareness eliminated, his
pre-shot routine kicked into operation. Even with a slight shake – the calmness of mind allowed him to
shift into determination, dedication and focus. As he made his final stroke of the round, his eyes
followed the ball as it left the tee area. He could tell that the line was right where he wanted it to be,
but upon clearing the first of two tiers – he noticed that his speed was off ever so slightly. Upon
clearing the second tier, the ball was shifting to the right more than he wanted. However, the cup was
only a few inches from the second tier and the speed was just enough to enter the hole at right center.
th
The players jumped with excitement to congratulate the 4 person to shoot a perfect 18. Greg Newport
had now attained a once in a lifetime achievement…maybe. He still has a lot of tournaments remaining
in him, so he and Rick Baird are the only two players that have an opportunity to shoot two perfect
games…unless John Napoli returns to the game (which would be nice). But, the tournament was not
over, there was still one round remaining and even though his lead had stretched to 5 strokes, Newport
knew that lead could easily disappear on the Richmond course. Dr. Lebo was in second place and had
once shot a 19 on the same course. Newport would have to think about his accomplishment later. He
had one thought on his mind…defend. Newport started his round the same way he ended the previous
round. He proceeded to ace holes 1 – 6, then hit what he thought was a good putt on 7, but the roll of
the ball was a bit off and it ended up lipping all the way around the cup (360) and stopping on the edge.
The streak ended at 24 aces in a row and he finished the front nine by acing holes 8 and 9. He had just
made 26 out of 27 holes. He would finish round 6 with a 25 and was able to accomplish his two goals.
He shot the lowest round he possibly could in round 5, and he defended his title. And, now he is part of
an elite group for the world record of 18 and for the most aces in a row.