Phillip B. Wilson

IndyStar

Four men celebrated like kids — once, then incredibly, a second time — after perfect shots Sunday afternoon on the 16th hole at Bear Slide Golf Club in Cicero.

Dave Tambunan thought he had tied an Ol' Buddy match after his 8-iron shot to the 143-yard, par-three hole bounced in front of the pin and landed in the cup for his second career ace.

Two players later, Neil Brattain swung a 9-iron just as true. His ball landed in front of the hole and disappeared at the flagstick for another ace.

"I'm still shaking," Brattain said a day later.

"I think we were all in shock," Tambunan said.

When they reported the two hole-in-ones at the pro shop, an Internet search revealed just how rare it was for two golfers in the same foursome to record aces.

"We Googled it," said club assistant pro Jeremy McIntire, "and the odds are 17 million to one."

Tambunan watched Brattain's shot in flight and quickly said, "Neil, that's going in!"

Brattain knew it was a decent shot, but couldn't fathom how one magic moment could be matched.

"You hope, but I honestly didn't think it was going to go in," he said. "I was speechless. I dropped my club. I was in pure shock.

"We all started laughing, then clubs started flying again, we were jumping around, high-fiving each other and everything."

The 27-year-old logistics salesman from Noblesville has played golf for just five years. It was his first ace.

"My golf career is over," Brattain joked.

Five years ago, Tambunan enjoyed his first ace on the fourth hole of the same course.

"It was foggy that day. The guys on the next tee started screaming," he said. "I never actually saw it."

This time, he eyed it all the way.

"It's not an easy par three, either," said Tambunan, 52, a dentist from Carmel who has been playing golf for 35 years. "The wind is always swirling, there's a creek in front of the green and a ravine in back."

Tambunan's laser measurement reader gauged the distance to the pin at 147 yards. Some wind made him reach for one stronger club. Brattain's meter had it at 145 yards.

Brattain and playing partner Jeff Deloughery wound up defeating Tambunan and Dean Almus 1-up.

"You get a hole-in-one but you lose the match because somebody else tops it off with another hole-in-one?" Tambunan said. "What are the odds of that?

"It was an enjoyable round, to say the least. This hole-in-one was more special."

Brattain is still ecstatic.

"No skins on that hole, huh?" he said. "It's the craziest thing I've ever been involved in.

"It's the highlight of my life up to this point. The circumstances only made it sweeter."

Call Star reporter Phillip B. Wilson at (317) 444-6642. Follow him on Twitter: @pwilson24.