Eric Axley, among the 50 golfers entered in the Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour Champions event this week, is moving into the main field after one of golf’s rarest shots.
He’s one of three moving on after he shot a 66 to finish a shot behind Kris Blanks. Garrett Willis shot 67 to be the third golfer to get into the field at the 2024 Constellation Furyk & Friends at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida.
Axley, though, has the best story to tell. He was 3 under with just two holes left and on the outside looking in before he made some magic happen, holing out from the fairway for a 2 on the par-5 17th hole, a 499-yard par 5 on the Dye’s Valley course at TPC Sawgrass.
That’s right, he made an albatross to jump a handful of golfers and secure a spot this week.
Having just turned 50 in April, Axley has only played in four senior circuit events this summer. He has one PGA Tour victory, the 2006 Valero Texas Open, making him one of 16 left-handers to win on the PGA Tour. He also has two Korn Ferry Tour wins.
The odds of making what’s also known as a double eagle are about 6-million-to-1 for the average golfer and about a million-to-one for a professional.
Axley competed in Q School last November but came up short in his bid for full status on the Champions tour in 2024.
