Another million dollar long shot...

W

wahcheck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just read on the internet news that a man playing in a New Mexico charity golf tournament had a shot for a million dollars (payable by an insurance co.)
if he could hit a hole-in-one, and he did it!

Now this reminded me of Earl's feat for his million dollar prize.......the question for you golfers/pool players out there is, which is harder to do?

Is it harder to run 10 racks for a million or make a hole in one when you are under the gun?
 
wahcheck said:
Just read on the internet news that a man playing in a New Mexico charity golf tournament had a shot for a million dollars (payable by an insurance co.)
if he could hit a hole-in-one, and he did it!

Now this reminded me of Earl's feat for his million dollar prize.......the question for you golfers/pool players out there is, which is harder to do?

Is it harder to run 10 racks for a million or make a hole in one when you are under the gun?
Click to expand...

I am not a golpher, but I have to go off of statistics and say the 10 racks is harder. Hole in ones happen on a regular basis in golf and ten rack runs do not happen that often. The odds were still astronomical that the hole in one would not be done on that shot.
 
They had the odds on a golf article from several sources, ranging from 150,000 to 1 for the average guy, and maybe 3,000 to one for a pro. When the insurance companies handicapped earl's feat at 1 in 6.5 million. Definitely looks like the ten rack run is less likely.
 
Both present there own set of challenges. However, the pressure for getting a hole in one in golf is nonexistent. Just because of the fact that it's only one shot and can only be made on a few selected par holes..

In pool, running multiple racks used to be a common occurrence when they played on brunswicks with large pockets. However, tournament (today) pool being played with tighter pockets and shot clocks provides its own pressures and seeing very few multi rack runs is a becoming a rare event. This mainly applies to 9 ball and other rotation games.

It is really difficult to compare the two games since the only thing in common is putting a ball into a hole. I would think, bowling a perfect game (300) is a more comparable pressure situation to pool than golf is, since some luck has to happen to make a prefect game.
 
wahcheck said:
Just read on the internet news that a man playing in a New Mexico charity golf tournament had a shot for a million dollars (payable by an insurance co.)
if he could hit a hole-in-one, and he did it!

Now this reminded me of Earl's feat for his million dollar prize.......the question for you golfers/pool players out there is, which is harder to do?

Is it harder to run 10 racks for a million or make a hole in one when you are under the gun?
Click to expand...

10 racks for sure. In golf you only have to hit one shot. In pool you have to keep making balls as the pressure mounts. Probably the biggest obstacle is getting an open shot after the break 10 racks in a row.
 
what Earl did was like making two "hole in one's" in a row.

wahcheck said:
Just read on the internet news that a man playing in a New Mexico charity golf tournament had a shot for a million dollars (payable by an insurance co.)
if he could hit a hole-in-one, and he did it!

Now this reminded me of Earl's feat for his million dollar prize.......the question for you golfers/pool players out there is, which is harder to do?

Is it harder to run 10 racks for a million or make a hole in one when you are under the gun?
Click to expand...

I was told what Earl did was like making two "hole in one's" in a row.....no one has run 11 racks in a row before or since in a major pro tournament that I'm aware of....especially one that was televised.
 
CreeDo said:
They had the odds on a golf article from several sources, ranging from 150,000 to 1 for the average guy, and maybe 3,000 to one for a pro. When the insurance companies handicapped earl's feat at 1 in 6.5 million. Definitely looks like the ten rack run is less likely.
Click to expand...

I think the actuaries were sleeping here.
When you put up a million dollars, the odds of it happening are greatly improved.
In a normal 9-ball game, every shot there is a decision to go for it or play safe.
Put up a large prize, and the decision to play safe stops happening.

I'm guessing that the odds go from 6.5 million to about 650,000.
 
I don't think bowling a 300 compares for difficulty

Of the 3, I think bowling a 300 seems so common and widespread.....

Of course, we're talking about doing it on a "called" moment.....

I think I also heard that back-to-back holes in one was done at this past weekend's pro tournament......

Also, what comes to mind is the prize of a new car for some pro tournament hole in one; but haven't heard any pro doing it recently.....

Seems quite a few pool pros have run 10 racks or more, but not when it was under the pressure of a million dollar prize....
 
CJ Wiley said:
I was told what Earl did was like making two "hole in one's" in a row.....no one has run 11 racks in a row before or since in a major pro tournament that I'm aware of....especially one that was televised.
Click to expand...

Didn't Alain Martel won the lag and ran the set out in the world pool Championships 2001 quarterfinals ?

Maybe it was a race to 9
 
wahcheck said:
Just read on the internet news that a man playing in a New Mexico charity golf tournament had a shot for a million dollars (payable by an insurance co.)
if he could hit a hole-in-one, and he did it!

Now this reminded me of Earl's feat for his million dollar prize.......the question for you golfers/pool players out there is, which is harder to do?

Is it harder to run 10 racks for a million or make a hole in one when you are under the gun?
Click to expand...

And tomorrow we'll read how the insurance company will come up with a reason why the shot was invalid.
 
It's much harder to run 10 racks than get a hole-in-one.

Running 10 racks takes a level skill and consistency that not many people possess... and to do it with money on the line... that just ups the ante. However, many average to below-average golfers have been lucky enough on one single shot to have it go into the hole.

Once you have to execute repeatedly it changes the dynamic, and as the required number of repetitions go up, the required amount of luck starts being replaced by a required amount of skill.
 
My initial instinct was to say "the hole in one" due to distance involved and the exceptional accuracy necessary. However, after thinking about it from different aspects, I'm going to go with the 10 racks being more difficult. Personally i'm basing my decision on what was mentioned earlier regarding how much the pressure can continue mounting with so many shots to be made. It's already a commonly accepted theory that most pool players feel more pressure on a money ball than let's say, the one ball. I can't imagine the pressure by the time you get to the ninth or tenth rack. You'd also have to be fighting the natural human tendency to relax every time you finish a single rack. Focus would also be a factor based on that.
 
wahcheck said:
Just read on the internet news that a man playing in a New Mexico charity golf tournament had a shot for a million dollars (payable by an insurance co.)
if he could hit a hole-in-one, and he did it!

Now this reminded me of Earl's feat for his million dollar prize.......the question for you golfers/pool players out there is, which is harder to do?

Is it harder to run 10 racks for a million or make a hole in one when you are under the gun?
Click to expand...

Here is a link to it.....
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/man-makes-million-dollar-hole-one-054206309.html
 
CreeDo said:
They had the odds on a golf article from several sources, ranging from 150,000 to 1 for the average guy, and maybe 3,000 to one for a pro.
Click to expand...

How can an insurance company back odds like those with $1,000,000?
 
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I agree...

Mikey Town said:
It's much harder to run 10 racks than get a hole-in-one.

Running 10 racks takes a level skill and consistency that not many people possess... and to do it with money on the line... that just ups the ante. However, many average to below-average golfers have been lucky enough on one single shot to have it go into the hole.

Once you have to execute repeatedly it changes the dynamic, and as the required number of repetitions go up, the required amount of luck starts being replaced by a required amount of skill.
Click to expand...

I think that the closest comparison to running ten racks in a row in pool in golf would be birdying 10 holes in a row.

Jaden

p.s. that has never been done in a PGA event. The record is 9 with several 8's
 
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PaulieB said:
How can an insurance company back odds like those with $1,000,000?
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The tournaments which have these hole in one contests are comprised of mostly weekend golfers. The insurance company has certain rules about minimum length of hole and other things. The number thrown out about 150,000 to 1 is probably nationwide without length of hole used as a factor. I would assume the odds are double that or higher if the whole is at minimum 160 yards. I am sure the insurance company sells insurance and they do quite well based on all the requirements for a million dollar payout.

You would never see something like this on the PGA tour. Sponsors give away a car for a hole in one sometimes but you never see a prize bigger than that.
 
CreeDo said:
They had the odds on a golf article from several sources, ranging from 150,000 to 1 for the average guy, and maybe 3,000 to one for a pro. When the insurance companies handicapped earl's feat at 1 in 6.5 million. Definitely looks like the ten rack run is less likely.
Click to expand...

1 in 6.5 million sounds about right for the average pro who has about a 20% B&R rate.
Earl in dead stroke however is probably closer to 40% which makes it more like 1 in 10.000 that does make a bit of a difference.

gr. Dave
 
thanks

Thanks to all of you for your input; I think it kinda validates something I have said in the past......Earl's million dollar feat was definitely one of the greatest in pool history.....His persona notwithstanding, he is truly a phenomenal cueist and legend in our time. His natural ability was evident to me, way back when he was playing in one of the early Reno Sands Tournaments, and the Caesar's Tahoe Tournament.
 
I played a round of league golf with my father-in-law last summer for some bonding time. Well it was the first time I hit a golf ball in 20 years so you could say I was a bit nervous considering him and his buddies played par to below par :eek:

I played pretty decent and kept getting asked the "How long ago was your last round again??" question. They thought I was trapping em :lol:

Anyhoo we came up to a elevated par 3 from about 165. It was the closest to the pin contest and I wanted to win it!! It was captain and mate so my father-in-law was playing good so it took some pressure off of me. Well this go around he shanked it bad to the left and missed the green so its all on me. I pull out my 5 iron and focus real hard. I swing good!! WHAM!!!! The ball went up nice and straight at the green, takes a nice bounce of the slope to the right and rolls down!! I was so stoked to be that close!!! Until we get up there...

Officially you have to be ON the green for the shot to count for the contest. I was on the EDGE of the fringe from about 4' 3"!!!! I was pretty pissed about it but my lady's dad smiled at me as he birdied the hole.

So yeah... I can see how getting a hole in one is much more probable (not easier) than running 10 straight racks.Hell even my cousin Jennifer has hit 3 or 4 hole-in-ones her lifetime but then again she is pretty boss as golf :lol:
 
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