A winning shot at the buzzer, a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, a walk-off home run — these are the Holy Grails of their sports. But what athlete does something like that after they turn 75?

Jack Nicklaus.

The Golden Bear sank a hole-in-one at Augusta Country Club during a Masters Par-3 tournament.

Earlier in the day, he’d he joked about doing something special for his fans, even calling the shot.

“A hole-in-one?” Nicklaus said on ESPN. “Absolutely. We’ll try to get one for you.”

Nicklaus is considered the greatest golfer in history — 18 championships in 25 years, sports types are now convinced Tiger Woods will never equal him.

But in all his years playing at Augusta, Nicklaus never made a hole-in-one there, other places, but never at Augusta — probably the most prominent course in professional golf. He finally does it at the age of 75, ten years after retiring as a pro.

Teeing off at the 130-yard, fourth hole, Nicklaus drove the ball onto the green, past the flag. The ball took three bounces, then it’s spin carried it straight back into the hole. The crowd burst into applause and golfing greats Ben Crenshaw and Gary Player shared high-fives and fist-bumps with Nicklaus.

The ball and golfing glove Nicklaus used Wednesday are part of sports history now, but they’re staying in the family. The Golden Bear gave them to his grandson, Stevie.

Featured photo credit: pocketwiley, CC

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