Miles Bennett
The condor is the rarest shot in golf, achieved by holing out four under par. As of 2021, there have been five recorded condors in history, with a sixth achieved in 2020, though some sources claim there have only been five ever recorded. The first condor was recorded in 1962 by Larry Bruce in Arkansas, and the most recent was achieved by Kevin Pon in Oakland, California, in 2020.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of condors in golf history | 6 |
| First condor | Larry Bruce, 1962, Hope Country Club, Arkansas |
| Second condor | Dick Hogan, 1973, Piedmont Crescent, North Carolina |
| Third condor | Shaun Lynch, 1995, Teign Valley Golf Club, Christow, England |
| Fourth condor | Mike Crean, 2002, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Denver, Colorado |
| Fifth condor | Jack Bartlett, 2007, Wentworth Falls Country Club, New South Wales |
| Sixth condor | Kevin Pon, 2020, Lake Chabot Golf Course, Oakland, California |
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What You'll Learn
The first condor was scored in 1962 by Larry Bruce
In the history of golf, only a handful of people have scored a condor, making it the rarest shot in the sport. A condor is a "'1' on a par 5", a "'2' on a par 6", or a "'3' on a par 7". To date, there have been five or six recorded condors in history, with the first being scored in 1962 by Larry Bruce.
Larry Bruce's historic feat took place at the Hope Country Club in Arkansas, USA. Bruce drove the ball into the hole over a stand of trees on the 480-yard dogleg right par-5 fifth hole. This incredible shot set the bar for what is possible in golf and inspired future golfers to attempt similar feats.
The difficulty of achieving a condor lies in the creativity and precision required to cut corners or hit over obstacles like trees. It is so rare that bookmakers don't even offer odds on it. However, despite the challenges, a few golfers have managed to join the exclusive club of condor scorers over the years.
The second condor was scored almost 30 years later in 1995 by Shaun Lynch at the Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England. Lynch "cut the corner" on the 496-yard 17th dogleg par-5, showcasing his boldness and skill. In 2002, Mike Crean became the third golfer to score a condor at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado. Crean achieved this feat on the 517-yard par-5 9th hole without cutting over a dogleg.
The most recent recorded condor was achieved by Kevin Pon in December 2020 at the Lake Chabot Golf Course in Oakland, California. Pon's achievement on the 667-yard par-6 18th hole was unique, as it was the only condor to have happened on a par-6.
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The most recent condor was scored in 2020 by Kevin Pon
The condor is the rarest shot in golf. It is achieved by holing out in four shots under par. In the history of golf, there have been only six recorded condors.
Kevin Pon scored the most recent condor on December 20, 2020, at Lake Chabot Golf Course in Oakland, California. The 54-year-old amateur golfer achieved the feat on the downhill, 667-yard par-6 18th hole, making a 4-under-par 2 on the hole. Pon hit his drive from the white tees (649 yards) on the nose, and it bounced on the right-side cart path, zig-zagging down the hole. His yellow golf ball kept rolling and finally stopped roughly 550 yards away. From there, he had an approach shot of about 100 yards to the severely elevated green. Pon could only see the top of the flag, so he had no idea he had scored a condor until the onlookers' cheering and shouting clued him in.
Pon, who is about an 8-handicap, shot 2-under 34 on the back nine thanks to his condor, despite making four bogeys. He has played at Lake Chabot more than 100 times but has never made a hole-in-one.
Before Pon, the second most recent condor was recorded at Royal Wentworth Falls Country Club, NSW, Australia, by 16-year-old Jack Bartlett. Bartlett scored an ace on the 467-metre par-5 17th hole.
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Only 5 or 6 condors have ever been recorded
A condor in golf is a "'1' on a par 5, a '2' on a par 6, or a '3' on a par 7—in other words, holing out in four shots under par. It is the absolute rarest shot in golf. As of 2021, there have been five recorded condors in history. However, some sources state that there have been six.
The first condor was recorded in 1962 by Larry Bruce in Hope Country Club, Arkansas, on the 480-yard, par-5 fifth hole. Almost 30 years later, in 1995, Shaun Lynch scored a condor by cutting the corner on the 496-yard 17th dogleg par-5 at Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England. In 2002, Mike Crean scored a condor at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado, when he holed his drive at the 517-yard par-5 9th.
The most recent recorded condor was achieved on December 20, 2020, by Kevin Pon at Lake Chabot Golf Course in Oakland, California, on the 667-yard par-6 18th hole. This is the only recorded condor to have happened on a par-6.
It should be noted that none of the six recorded condors were hit during a professional tournament.
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A condor is a hole-in-one on a par-5
A condor is one of the rarest feats in golf. It is a hole-in-one on a par-5, which means a golfer has scored four under par. As of 2024, there have been only six recorded instances of a condor in golf history, five of which were hole-in-ones on par-5s.
The first-ever recorded condor was in 1962 by Larry Bruce at the Hope Country Club in Arkansas. Bruce drove into the hole over a stand of trees on the 480-yard dogleg right par-5 fifth hole. The second condor was achieved in 1973 by Dick Hogan, who aced a 456-yard par-5 at Piedmont Crescent in North Carolina. However, Hogan later expressed doubts about the legitimacy of his achievement, suspecting that someone may have played a practical joke on him.
The third condor was scored in 1995 by Shaun Lynch at the Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England. Lynch "cut the corner" on the 496-yard 17th dogleg par-5, clearing a 20-foot-high hedge and hitting a downslope that allowed his ball to roll into the hole. The fourth condor was achieved in 2002 by Mike Crean at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado. Crean holed his drive at the 517-yard par-5 9th, becoming the first golfer to score a condor without cutting over a dogleg.
The fifth condor was recorded in 2007 by 16-year-old Jack Bartlett at the Wentworth Falls Country Club in New South Wales, making him the youngest person to score a condor. Bartlett aced the 17th hole, a par-5. The sixth and most recent condor was achieved in December 2020 by Kevin Pon at the Lake Chabot Golf Course in Oakland, California. Pon's achievement was unique in that it was the only condor to occur on a par-6 hole. He finished the 667-yard par-6 18th hole in just two shots.
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Scoring a condor is extremely rare
A condor is the rarest shot in golf. It is achieved by holing out four strokes under par. In other words, a condor is a hole-in-one on a par-five, a two on a par-six, or a three on a par-seven.
There have been six recorded condors in history, though some sources state five. The discrepancy may be due to the fact that one of the six, achieved by Dick Hogan in 1973, is considered by some to be illegitimate. Hogan himself doubted the achievement, believing that someone had played a prank on him.
The first condor was scored by Larry Bruce in 1962 at the Hope Country Club in Arkansas. Bruce drove into the hole over a stand of trees on a 480-yard dogleg right par-5. The most recent condor was scored by Kevin Pon in 2020 at the Lake Chabot Golf Course in Oakland, California. This was the only condor to be achieved on a par-6.
The other four recorded condors were scored by Shaun Lynch in 1995 at the Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England; Mike Crean in 2002 at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado; and Jack Bartlett in 2007 at the Wentworth Falls Country Club in New South Wales.
The extreme rarity of condors is due to the fact that very few courses have suitable par-5 or par-6 holes. The probability of a hole-in-one on the PGA tour has been assessed as 1 in 12,500, and the probability of a condor is even lower.
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Frequently asked questions
Six.
A condor is a hole-in-one on a par-five, a two on a par-six, or a three on a par-seven.
The six golfers who have achieved a condor are Larry Bruce (1962), Dick Hogan (1973), Shaun Lynch (1995), Mike Crean (2002), Jack Bartlett (2007), and Kevin Pon (2020).
The odds of a condor happening are so slim that there are no official odds.
