Standing over his ball on the driving range at Fraserglen Golf Course on Sunday morning, knowing that his next swing could net him seven figures, was an amazing opportunity for David Yaromich.
It was also incredibly stressful.
The 21-year-old construction worker from Abbotsford was one of three golfers, along with Bryan Payne and Kyle Gerard, to qualify for the finals of the Rotary Club of Abbotsford‘s Million Dollar Hole in One contest.
Over the previous eight days, golfers had purchased buckets of balls to take shots at a hole 95 yards away. Individuals advanced to Sunday’s quarter-final round based on their proximity to the pin, and others were chosen in a random drawing.
The quarter-final and semifinal results whittled the field of contenders down to the aforementioned trio, with each getting one swing to hole out from 165 yards and win $1 million.
Payne’s effort settled 32 feet, eight inches from the cup, while Gerard’s ball ended up more than 94 feet away.
Yaromich, the last to go, usually hits a seven-iron from a distance of 165 yards, but he elected to go with a six-iron on this occasion.
“I clubbed up an extra club because I was so nervous,” he said with a chuckle afterward. “It’s really nerve-wracking, that’s for sure.”
Speaking of nerve-wracking, Yaromich is planning to propose to his girlfriend this summer, and $1 million would have more than covered the costs of all those big-ticket items in his future, including an engagement ring, wedding and honeymoon. Alas, his ball wound up 27 feet, nine inches from the cup.
Finishing closest to the pin, though, yielded a prize package which included a Mercedes-Benz watch, lunch with Mayor Bruce Banman, and $500 gift certificate to the Cactus Club Cafe. Not a bad result for a relative newcomer to the sport.
“I started golfing three years ago, and I’ve just been getting better and better,” Yaromich said. “I don’t take lessons, I just practice with my brothers. We go out once or twice a week.”
The big winner was the Rotary Club of Abbotsford’s charity initiatives. The fundraising event generated just under $42,000 in sales of golf balls – a new record for the event, eclipsing the $39,000 raised last year.
The money will go towards Holmberg House, an adult hospice facility currently under construction which will be operated by the Abbotsford Hospice Society, and several other Rotary community projects.
The hospice facility is named for Dave Holmberg Jr., who died of cancer in March 2011 at the age of 48. His father, philanthropist Dave Holmberg Sr., announced during the opening ceremonies that he would match any money raised beyond $25,000.
So all told, this year’s fundraiser has generated nearly $59,000, pushing the Million Dollar Hole in One past the $400,000 plateau over its 13-year history.
“Dave’s matching really took it to another level,” marvelled event chair Hugh Ellis. “We feel wonderful about how it went. It was a great success, and we’re looking forward to next year’s event on May 31.”
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Complete results posted here:
Winners list for Sunday, June 9, 2013
Top 10 in Semi-finals shooting for $100,000
1st Place                     Bryan Payne
2nd Place                    Jim Watt
3rd Place                    Henryk Burghardt
4th Place                     Brian Threlfall
5th Place                     Brent Wiebe
6th Place                     Dave Blanchard
7th Place                     Rick Barkwell
8th Place                     David Yaromich
9th Place                     Blair Coan
10th Place                   Kyle Gerard
Top 3 in Finals shooting for $1,000,000
David Yaromich
Bryan Payne
Kyle Gerard
Winners list for Saturday, June 8, 2013
1st Place            Derek Currie
2nd Place                    Brian Threlfall
3rd Place            Rick Barkwell
4th Place                     David Yaromich
5th Place                     Bradie Rogers
6th Place                     Andy Davies
7th Place                     Greg Buck
5 WINNERS OF AÂ FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
Brian Stieb
Alan Champion
Sandy Watson
Tyler Coburn
Bryan Freeland
Winners list for JUNIORS on Saturday June 8, 2013
1st Place                     Sean Watt
2nd Place                    Preston Barkwell
3rd Place            Matthew Guidon
4th Place                     Curtis Leitner
5th Place                     Dane Champion
6th Place                     Raymond Kobes
7th Place                     Alyssa Champion
Winners list for Friday, June 7, 2013
1st Place                     Bradie Rogers                        ACE
2nd Place                    Bob Simoes
3rd Place                    Gordon Lamb
4th Place                     Brock Ritchie
5th Place                     Eric Grant
6th Place                     Chris Gaudet
7th Place                     Rick Barkwell
5 WINNERS OF A FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
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Shona Brown
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Bill Whaley
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Karen Landon
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Neil Brown
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Wally Remple
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Winners list for Thursday, June 6, 2013
1st Place                     Grant McLellan   ACE
2nd Place                    Rita Walker      ACE
3rd Place                    Kyle Gerard     ACE
4th Place                     Dave Parkin
5th Place                     Bryan Payne
6th Place                     Greg Buck
7th Place                     Brian Threlfall
5 WINNERS OF AÂ FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
Jim Watt
Dave Dimen
Steve Yip
Jeff Payne
Jim Beale
Winners list for Wednesday, June 5, 2013
1st Place                     Dave Blanchard    ACE
2nd Place                    Brian Threlfall
3rd Place                    Garry Dickinson
4th Place                     Brock Ritchie
5th Place                     Jim Watt
6th Place                     Brent Wiebe
7th Place                     Jim Stewart
5 WINNERS OF AÂ FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
Bob Stacey
Kevin Clare
Dave Diamond
Karen McLean
Chris Clarke
Winners list (Ladies Only Results) for Tuesday June 4, 2013
1st Place       Karen McLean
2nd Place      Amanda Blanchard
3rd Place       Brenda Giesbrecht
4th Place       Carol Janzen
5th Place       Sandy Watson
6th Place       Jean Robertson
7th Place       Michelle Holmberg
8th Place       Sara Lawson
9th Place       Pat Freeman
10th Place      Maggie Fawcett
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Winners list for Tuesday, June 4, 2013
1st Place       Dave Parkin             ACE
2nd Place Les Barkman
3rd Place Bob Wicks
4th Place       Dave Holmberg
5th Place       Dave Blanchard
6th Place       Karen McLean
7th Place       Brian Threlfall
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5 WINNERS OF AÂ FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
Loren Humeny
Nilde West
Brian Gaudet
Katie West
Barry Turchen
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Winners list for Monday, June 3, 2013
1st Place        Gordie Lamb
2nd Place             Brodie Williams
3rd Place         Tim Turchen
4th Place              Tyler Jensen
5th Place              Kyle Gerard
6th Place              Brock Ritchie
7th Place              Loren Humeny
5 WINNERS OF AÂ FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
Derek Currie
Tim Phillips
Keith Colebank
Jim Schimnowsky
David Lordon
Winners list for Sunday, June 2, 2013
1st Place             Blair Coan
2nd Place            Dave Blanchard
3rd Place              Rick Barkwell
4th Place             Gordie Lamb
5th Place             Barry Turchen
6th Place              Brock Ritchie
7th Place              Les Barkman
5 WINNERS OF AÂ FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 9TH QUARTER-FINALS
Magnus Olsen
Jean Robertson
Carol Freeman
Henryk Burghardt
Barry Champion
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Winners list for Saturday, June 1, 2013
1st Place             Dave Blanchard
2nd Place            Greg Buck
3rd Place              Dave Holmberg
4th Place             Les Barkman
5th Place             Paul Sovio
6th Place              Blaine Petruck
7th Place              Andrew Hargraves
5 WINNERS OF A FREE PASS INTO THE
SUNDAY JUNE 10TH QUARTER-FINALS
Todd Chretien
Dan Denis
Andrew Nouangsouvanh
Barry Champion
Magnus Olsen
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