They Got Their Christmas Miracle With Consecutive Holes in One

In a feat that may prove to be a golf first, two Reno golfers recorded holes in one on consecutive shots at a local course.

John Legarza, 60, and Tom Gabelman, 59, performed the feat on the 162-yard 16th hole Thursday at the Dayton Valley Country Club.

“It was pretty exciting,” said Legarza, who coached the University of Nevada golf team from 1977-93. “You can’t believe what happened. I don’t think it has ever happened before.

“The chances of that happening, I don’t know. The chances of getting one is a miracle.”

Gabelman, who’s semi-retired from the oil business, said he scanned Golf Digest to see if the feat had ever occurred before, but found nothing.

Golf Digest “had an unusual and oddities section. There was nothing in there” about consecutive holes in one, Gabelman said.

Jeff Sparks, the assistant pro at Dayton Valley 25 miles southeast of Reno, said he will contact a handful of golf magazines to see if the oddity is a first.

“It would be extremely rare,” Sparks said.