TIMELESS ACE SPANS THREE GENERATIONS

A poignant round of golf for Chris Thomas became a day to treasure when he joined his son and late father with an ace on the same hole to leave a lasting legacy at their historic club.

Thomas, 47, a member at St Augustine's Golf Club in his home town, Ramsgate, Kent, was competing in the June monthly Stableford at his home club when he found the missing piece to the jigsaw on the 156-yard, par-three 15th.

The six-handicapper said: "On August 7th, 1961, my late father, Major John Thomas - who played off a nine handicap - had a hole-in-one on the 15th at St Augustine's from 135 yards and I still have the ball mounted in a plaque as a memento. I was lucky to play with my dad about 30 times before he passed away.

"On July 3rd, 2012, my son - aged 16 at the time and playing off five - amazingly achieved an ace on the very same hole. I was so proud to follow in the footsteps of my father and son to make it a family hat-trick, and, to make it extra special, I've received a BOSS watch as a permanent reminder."

Thomas joined the historic golf club - where a runic cross stands near the clubhouse to commemorate St Augustine's arrival to England - in 1994 after retiring from semi-professional football, and he and his son Joe play golf together there regularly.

Joe added: "I was so excited when I couldn't find my ball but looked around anyway, as it often bounces through the green, which is very flat. I couldn't see it so I had a look in the hole, and there it was. I am delighted that my grandfather, dad and I can share this special moment."

The luxury German brand has once again pledged to reward club golfers with an exclusive watch for every hole-in-one recorded during a club competition in 2015, after giving away more than £1m-worth of limited-edition timepieces since its launch in 2013 - and Thomas is among the latest to achieve the feat this year.

The scheme is open to any golfer whose club uses HowDidiDo - a free-to-use, web-based social network for golfers - and anybody playing in official club competitions is eligible. Currently, more than 1,800 clubs use the website.

Stephen Brydon, commercial director for MGS Distribution, the official licenced UK distributor for BOSS Watches, said: "Well done to Chris for accomplishing one of golf's most elusive feats.

"For most amateur golfers, a hole-in-one is as memorable as winning The Masters would be to a professional. We want to ensure they have something tangible by which to remember the day, other than an expensive bar bill.

"The limited-edition BOSS timepiece is exclusively available to golfers who achieve a hole-in-one; it not only immortalises a once-in-a-lifetime feat, but also serves as a memento of their achievement.

"We also hope it might lift the spirits of amateur golfers during club competitions who may not be in with a chance of winning the event, but can still feel excitement every time they play a par-three, knowing they are just one shot away from winning an exquisite timepiece."

In addition to the limited-edition watch, Thomas joins more than 7,000 members in the BOSS Watches H1Club which offers access to exclusive benefits and merchandise.

No extra registration is required to participate in the BOSS Watches promotion as all official club competitions are recorded on the HowDidiDo system, so holes-in-one are noted and automatically ratified by the golfer's club.

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