Ace Cockroft at the double!

Wyke’s Peter Cockroft was presented with a special trophy by the Anfi Tauro Golf Club in Gran Canaria to mark his rare achievement.

The Halifax Golf Club member couldn’t believe it when he followed up his ace at the second on the nine-hole short course with another at the ninth.

He said: “It is not so much the holes in one, though it was obviously quite something to get them on the same day.

“It is the fact I was only playing nine holes.

“I think two holes in one will have been done before but how often has it been done over nine holes?”

Both his magical shots were struck with his trusty pitching wedge on par three holes that measured either side of the 100-yard mark.

They may not have been the longest of holes but the ninth involved a carry over a lake and Cockroft said: “They were short but still quite tricky because of the small greens.”

Cockroft – a former scratch golfer who still plays off nine – has already enjoyed three aces during a career which has seen him play for Yorkshire and UK Seniors.

Two came at Bradley Hall and one at Fixby, with Cockroft saying: “Two of those were through pure luck.

“They weren’t going anywhere near the hole but they bounced off a hill and went in.

“The ones in Gran Canaria were absolutely straight though.”

Not many golfers can claim to have shot five hole-in-ones but Cockroft is not getting too excited.

Even after his latest exploits he said: “I probably wasn’t as happy as I should have been.

“My playing partners were probably more thrilled than I was.

“I would much prefer to win a scratch golf competition. I would be elated to have done that.

“There is still a big element of luck in what I did but it was very unusual.”

As is tradition, Cockroft celebrated his feat by getting the drinks in at the 19th hole of the luxury golf resort where he was on holiday.

He said: “I bought everyone a drink in the clubhouse but I stopped short of buying them all one twice!”