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.”

 

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 A 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

 

Shona Brown

 

Bill Whaley

 

Karen Landon

 

Neil Brown

 

Wally Remple

 

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 A 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 A 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

 

 

Winners list for Tuesday, June 4, 2013

1^st Place             Dave Parkin             ACE

2^nd Place Les Barkman

3^rd Place Bob Wicks

4^th Place             Dave Holmberg

5^th Place             Dave Blanchard

6^th Place             Karen McLean

7^th Place             Brian Threlfall

 

 

5 WINNERS OF A FREE PASS INTO THE

SUNDAY JUNE 9^TH QUARTER-FINALS

Loren Humeny

Nilde West

Brian Gaudet

Katie West

Barry Turchen

 

 

Winners list for Monday, June 3, 2013

1^st Place               Gordie Lamb

2^nd Place              Brodie Williams

3^rd Place               Tim Turchen

4^th Place               Tyler Jensen

5^th Place               Kyle Gerard

6^th Place               Brock Ritchie

7^th Place               Loren Humeny

5 WINNERS OF A FREE PASS INTO THE

SUNDAY JUNE 9^TH QUARTER-FINALS

Derek Currie

Tim Phillips

Keith Colebank

Jim Schimnowsky

David Lordon

Winners list for Sunday, June 2, 2013

1^st Place               Blair Coan

2^nd Place              Dave Blanchard

3^rd Place               Rick Barkwell

4^th Place               Gordie Lamb

5^th Place               Barry Turchen

6^th Place               Brock Ritchie

7^th Place               Les Barkman

5 WINNERS OF A FREE PASS INTO THE

SUNDAY JUNE 9^TH QUARTER-FINALS

Magnus Olsen

Jean Robertson

Carol Freeman

Henryk Burghardt

Barry Champion

 

 

Winners list for Saturday, June 1, 2013

1^st Place               Dave Blanchard

2^nd Place              Greg Buck

3^rd Place               Dave Holmberg

4^th Place               Les Barkman

5^th Place               Paul Sovio

6^th Place               Blaine Petruck

7^th Place               Andrew Hargraves

5 WINNERS OF A FREE PASS INTO THE

SUNDAY JUNE 10^TH QUARTER-FINALS

Todd Chretien

Dan Denis

Andrew Nouangsouvanh

Barry Champion

Magnus Olsen