TWAS an indecent proposal, to be sure. Some 30 people - encompassing the golfing, medical, business and, indeed, the media fraternities - assembled on the first tee at Elm Park Golf Club yesterday with the sole purpose of securing an ace which would reap £1 million for the Cardiac Surgical Foundation.
Not an easy task either. The insurance company measured the chances of someone recording a hole in one at the 135 yards (plus one foot, for insurance purposes) par three hole, generously guarded by trees and bunkers, as one in ten thousand for mere mortals who are ordinary club members and one in six thousand for a club professional.
Among those who attempted the feat were Maurice Neligan, looking for all the world like a professional golfer, and Eilis McGovern, two of the country's leading Cardio thoracic surgeons. Along with their colleagues in the Foundation, they are endeavouring to raise funds towards equipping a new cardiac operating theatre costing £3 million and alleviating the queue which has now reached a plateau at 1,600.
Yesterday's rounding up of golfing people from all walks of life had two aims: firstly, the possible bonanza of someone actually holing out with their tee shot and earning £1 million for the Foundation (personal disclaimers under R&A Rule 1-4/3 were duly signed in advance) and, secondly, to encourage clubs to enter teams in the Cardiac Surgical Foundation International Challenge which takes place at Glasson in August.
The quest to scoop the £1 million jackpot, however, put its own pressure on participants - and if Curtis Cup captain Ita Butler and the redoubtable Joe Carr were aghast at missing the green with their attempts, such actions probably put some others at ease.
There was the impression that it all was staged for the medical personnel, as shouts of "Fore!" sent people scurrying for safety.
Finally, nine qualifiers - Mick Craddock, the Irish team captain, Paddy Murphy, the Leinster Branch GUI Chairman, Jimmy Greene, the Irish boys' team captain, Mary McKenna, Frank Creuss Callaghan, Sebastian Devlin, Eddie Dunne, Philip Purcell and Michael Quinn - emerged to line up alongside Elm Park's club professional Seamus Greene for a shot at the big prize.
"Sorry, Mr Neligan," apologised Craddock as his finely flighted tee shot finished ten feet from the hole ... and a succession of efforts floated towards the pin, but with no success. In the end, Quinn, the chief executive of ICC Bank, went closest to raising pulses, but his ball stopped some 7ft 10in from the hole. No big pay out.
