In a moment of pure sporting magic, Australian professional golfer Daniel Gale has driven away with a brand new BMW worth nearly $300,000 after scoring a spectacular hole-in-one during the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
The Million-Dollar Shot
The life-changing moment occurred on Thursday at the challenging 154-metre par-three 11th hole, where Gale confidently struck an eight-iron that found the bottom of the cup in a single shot. The incredible feat earned him immediate ownership of the luxury BMW M5 Touring that had been tantalising players throughout the tournament.
Remarkably, Gale had predicted his success during Wednesday's pro-am, telling his playing partners "this baby's mine" when he spotted the gleaming vehicle positioned beside the tee box. The 29-year-old from New South Wales revealed he'd checked the tournament prizes earlier in the week and noticed organisers had changed the car giveaway from a weekend-only prize to being available throughout the entire event.
From Celebration to Competition
After the initial celebration subsided, Gale's competitive instincts kicked in. "I celebrated, then quickly thought, 'hopefully no-one else has won it before me'," he admitted. "There's always that guy, you know what I mean? It got confirmed about 30 seconds after it was all mine."
The elated golfer didn't let the distraction affect his game, immediately birdying the very next hole to continue his strong start to the championship. When severe weather forced the suspension of play, Gale found himself in outright second position at five-under par through 12 holes, just two strokes behind Spanish leader Sebastian Garcia.
Tournament Implications and Future Plans
Gale acknowledged the unexpected windfall had relaxed him significantly, but emphasised his focus remained firmly on the $450,000 first prize and the valuable European Tour playing opportunities that come with winning the Australian PGA Championship.
"Winning changes everything," Gale said regarding his plans for the 2024 season. "My form's been trending... things are coming together. I like this golf course and the biggest thing was, I reset and made a nice birdie on 12."
The New South Welshman, who had been building form with a tied-10th finish at the recent NSW Open, said the weather interruption provided an opportunity to refocus on the main prize. "It hasn't sunk in yet in all honesty, but it helps relax me a lot because it's quite a nice prize. But I've got a job to do this week and the focus doesn't change."
When play resumes, Gale will be among the chasing pack looking to catch Garcia, with several players including Ryan Fox and Anthony Quayle sitting just one shot behind the Australian sensation.
