By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

It was a once-in-a-lifetime shot for someone who’s only just begun his life.

Eight-year-old Jones Free hit a hole-in-one at the Selma Country Club’s second hole on Wednesday.

Jones sunk the shot from 142 yards away while he was playing with some of his friends and said he was a little surprised when it happened.

“I felt great, but we kind of saw a ball in the bunker, and I didn’t think it was mine, and then we ran up to the hole, and we saw my golf ball in there,” Jones said.

Jones’ father, William, who was not there when his son made the shot, got a call immediately after it happened.

William said he initially thought Jones hit the ball from closer up because some tournaments require participants to tee up from closer, but he was surprised when he found out Jones hit the ball from where he did.

“Actually, I couldn’t believe it,” William said. “It was hard to believe. It took a while to sink in, but I was very proud of him.”

William said Jones’ grandmother had Jones swinging a golf club at the age of two and soon after he was able to best his old man.

“When he was 5-years-old, he shot a 41 and beat me by three shots the day before his sixth birthday,” William said. “I’m very proud of him because he loves golf, and that’s all he thinks about. He’s out here every day.”

Jones said golf is his main sport, and he hopes to play in school and beyond.

William said Jones began playing competitively in the Dixie Section PGA league earlier this year, and his son has set the bar pretty high for his entire golfing career.