It's pretty hard to shoot a hole-in-one. Some people golf every day for 50 years and never pull it off - it's the golfer's ultimate dream. The chance of a golfer getting one are 1 in 4000 - which means you probably have a better chance of convincing your parents to let you use their car to go drag racing with your friends.
Well, eight year-old Jackson Rue has beaten those odds - not just once, but five times. That's right, he's hit five hole-in-ones. The latest one took place on July 26, 2001 on a 130-yard par 3. He hit the ball with a one wood and the ball bounced cleanly into the hole. But Jackson isn't just a lucky kid. He's one of the best player's under the age of 12 in the world right now. Jackson now has more than 35 trophies for winning junior golf tournaments around North America - so many that his Dad had to build extra shelves in Jackson's bedroom! This kid is blowing away the competition. The last tournament he won by 11 strokes while playing with the flu.
So what's Jackson's secret? Does it come from the golfing smarts of his Dad? "No way," says Jackson. "My Dad's the worst golfer in the world. I beat him every time." If it's not the teaching of Dad than Jackson's success may be a mix of hard work, god-given talent and mental focus. "Before every round I practice my drives, my putts and I say a prayer," says Jackson. Those prayers appear to be getting answered as Jackson continues to win tournaments and make headlines around the world. He's even appeared on an episode of Ripley's
Jackson now has his sights set on beating Tiger Woods - his favorite player. "Jackson is so good because he's so competitive. He loves to win and can't stand to lose," says his Dad, Doug Rue. "He's so focused on golf and really thinks he can one day beat Tiger." Stay tuned... Jackson could soon have Tiger running for the jungle.
