Late holes in one from Francois Calmels and Tom Lewis provided a huge boost to the opening day totals for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Birdie Pledge.
The pledge, funded equally by The European Tour Players Foundation, the charitable arm of The European Tour, and headline sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management, will go entirely to this year’s Official Charity, The Archie Foundation.
As the first hole in one of the Championship, the Frenchman’s ace will benefit the local children’s charity to the tune of £1,480, as Aberdeen and the Tour Players Foundation agreed to make the combined donation of £10 for every yard of the eighth hole to signify the rare occasion of golfing perfection.
Calmels commented: “You do not hit the perfect shot very often, so it’s great to know that my hole in one has helped the fund-raising for the Official Charity.
“Thank you to Aberdeen Asset Management and the Tour Players Foundation for making this donation. I hope it makes a difference to the great work that The ARCHIE Foundation do in Scotland.”
Incredibly, not long after Calmel’s heroics, England’s Lewis replicated the feat on the 185-yard 17th hole for the first hole in one of his life and the TPF and Aberdeen chose to mark this additional exemplary shot with a donation of £1 for each yard of the hole’s length.
With £5 being donated for every birdie, £10 for every eagle and £50 for every albatross by both Aberdeen and the Tour Players Foundation, at the close of play, a total of 437 birdies and 18 eagles were made at the fabulous Royal Aberdeen Golf Club on Thursday bringing the total, when added to the special prizes, to £6,355 so far.
