CHASKA, Minn. — There's an old saying about how lightning never strikes twice, but perhaps three times is a different story.
Danny Spillum says he's not a serious golfer, but this summer he's done something few golfers do in a lifetime: notch a hole-in-one.
But what make's Danny's story extremely remarkable is that he's aced holes on Twin Cities golf courses not once, not twice... but three times this summer.
"I’ve been playing golf since a kid (age 8 or 9) because my dad is a big golfer, but I never played seriously in high school," the 24-year-old Spillum told KARE 11 in an email. "Never had a hole in one before this summer."
The 2020 golf season changed that in a hurry. It started May 10th, when Danny was teeing off on the 12th hole of the Chaska town course with his friends Sam Ryan and Adam Gonzalez. "I hit a 6 iron, got pretty lucky with a bounce off a ledge on the right. we could all see it go in."
Ace number two happened July 15th, on hole 8 at Mississippi National-Lowlands. His friend Wilson Jones played witness as Danny hit a 4 iron, straight up hill. "My friend and I knew it had a chance but didn’t know until we got up there to the green."
Mr. Jones was a good luck charm for hole-in-one number three as well, along with friend Sam Loeffler. The three were playing Danny's hometown course, Dahlgreen Country Club, on August 11 when Danny teed off on hole 6. "7 iron bounced once in the rough and rolled to the back and in," Spillum recalls.
Golfers, like many athletes, can be pretty superstitious characters. After hitting his first ace Danny bought a new set of irons. They arrived the day he notched his second ace, but instead of sticking with his lucky clubs Spillum switched to his news ones, which he says felt decidedly different. It didn't take long to get used to them, apparently, as the third hole-in-one came just a month later.
The summer of 2020 has been a lost one for many, with course closures, disrupted routines and all the things that have come along with the COVID-19 pandemic. But to quote another old saying, in every dark cloud there is a silver lining... and Danny Spillum has found plenty of silver.
"I really can’t complain about my summer 2020 (LOL!) I’m a student at the U of Minnesota with a major in Econ, and all of my classes are online so it gives me more opportunity to get out and golf more (while social distancing of course)."
KARE 11 learned about Danny's feat via text message. Submit your news tips, story ideas, photos and videos by texting 763-797-7215!
