One-armed Canadian amateur makes ace at American Express

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — One-armed Canadian amateur Laurent Hurtubise made a hole-in-one playing alongside two PGA Tour pros in The American Express pro-am event.

Born without a right hand, Hurtubise aced the 151-yard par-3 fourth hole at PGA West’s Stadium Course in the first round Thursday. The ball landed near the front of the green and rolled in.

Hurtubise was paired with professional Troy Merritt.

“The coolest experience I’ve had on the course,” Merritt told PGA Tour.com.

Fellow tour player Greg Chalmers also was in the foursome.

“He hit the shot and it was a nice little cut for a lefty,” Chalmers said. “Right away we sort of said, ‘Sit down,’ But it was one of those shots where you always thought, `Hang on. This could go in.’”