Harold Hoyt Stilson, 101; Last Year Became Oldest Golfer to Hit Hole in One
Harold Hoyt Stilson Sr., 101, who last year became the oldest golfer to hit a hole in one, died Saturday from complications of a viral infection in Boca Raton, Fla.
Stilson, who took up golf in 1921, used a 4-iron to ace the 108-yard 16th hole at the Deerfield Country Club in May.
The feat brought him invitations to appear on “The Tonight Show,” “Live With Regis and Kelly” and ESPN’s SportsCenter. He also threw out the first pitch at a Florida Marlins baseball game and received an invitation from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to play a round of golf.
Stilson’s hole in one was not his first: He had made five others, all since turning 71.
A 27-handicapper who continued to play three times a week, he was said to have a “classic, well-balanced swing.”
Stilson, who joined the Navy in 1917, played the saxophone and clarinet in Detroit big bands before going into business.
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