Poor Sifford Is Aced Out of $100,000 : His Hole-in-One on 15th at MountainGate Fails to Earn Announced Prize

Charlie Sifford is the central figure in the mystery of what happened to the $100,000 sign.

Sifford, veteran local pro, made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole at MountainGate Country Club in the first round of the Johnny Mathis Senior PGA tournament Friday and won a 1986 Buick. But he didn’t get an announced prize of $100,000.

Sifford was in the 10th group that started the round on the 10th tee. When the earlier groups went through, a sign was on the 168-yard, par-three 15th saying that the first professional to get a hole-in-one there during the 54-hole tournament would be given a Buick and $100,000.

Nobody seems to know when the sign, put there inadvertently according to Tournament Director Tom Hebert, was removed. But it was not there when Sifford hit a 5-iron shot that rolled into the cup for an ace.

The sign listed Buick and Fremont Insurance Group as sponsors of the prizes.

“There was a lack of communication,” Hebert said. “We had the sign printed because we hoped the deal for $100,000 would go through. We knew earlier in the week, the plans had fallen through. However, nobody told the person responsible for putting out the sign.

“I don’t know who removed it or exactly when it was removed, but if I find out, that person deserves a bonus. I do know it was gone before Sifford made his hole-in-one.

“According to PGA rules, if the sign is there when the hole-in-one is made, the golfer would be entitled to the money.”

Apparently, there were others in Hebert’s organization who didn’t get the word that “earlier in the week, the plans had fallen through.” Friday morning, the tournament media relations department issued a press release that read as follows:

“A 1986 Buick Riviera and a $100,000.00 cash prize will be awarded to the first professional golfer, participating in the 1986 2nd Annual Johnny Mathis Seniors Classic at MountainGate Country Club, to make a hole-in-one on the 15th hole during play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

A copy of the release was received on The Times’ telecopier machine at 9:03 a.m., more than two hours after the first group of golfers had teed off.

After finishing with a 73, Sifford learned from the media that there had been a sign saying that the first hole-in-one was worth a Buick and $100,000.

“It shows you the kind of luck I’ve been having,” Sifford said. “I didn’t know anything about any $100,000.”

After thinking it over a while, though, Sifford grew less philosophical, indicating that he planned to take it up with PGA officials.

Peter Thomson, who played four groups in front of Sifford, said he would be angry about losing $100,000 that way. Now, it would appear that Sifford is, too.