A hole-in-one typically requires a great deal of skill and a even more luck.
It’s also something every golfer hopes to achieve on some fortuitous swing, and an elusive event that few players are ever fortunate enough to experience. Already this season, Fairview junior Mathieu “Matti” Zerwin has drained not one but two holes-in-one. The season is less than a month old, and both of Zerwin’s aces came within a two-week span.
Unbelievable. But it’s true.
“It’s pretty cool,” Zerwin said. “I’ve never even been close before. I’ve probably hit a couple within five feet, but never super close. To have that big of accomplishments as two hole-in-ones is really cool.”
The first ace of Zerwin’s career came at the Eagle Classic: Two-Man Best Ball Tournament on Aug. 12 on the 12th hole at The Broadlands Golf Course. He was hitting an 8-iron from around 190 yards out and a little downwind. It was smoky, so he couldn’t see well through the haze.
“It bounced towards the hole and it disappeared,” Zerwin said. “There were like eight people on the tee box and we all saw it stop. We couldn’t see it anymore, so there was some doubt and I didn’t want to freak out. It was kind of cool because I was like, ‘Did I make it or did I not?’ Once we got up there, we saw that it was in.”
Zerwin’s second ace in as many weeks was at Front Range League Match No. 3 on Aug. 26 on the 17th hole at Thorncreek Golf Club. From 144 yards out, Zerwin hit a pitching wedge.
“I tried to hit it towards the middle of the green and I pulled it right towards the pin,” Zerwin said. “It one-hopped straight in and we all saw it. The Boulder coach freaked out. I think he texted my dad. We all saw that one go in, so that was pretty cool.”
John Zerwin has been coaching both boys and girls golf at Fairview for some time now. He’s also Matti Zerwin’s father, and he has hit three holes-in-one in his career. Two of John Zerwin’s aces, strangely enough, came in a two-week span when he was around the same age as Matti Zerwin is now.
John Zerwin still remembers that incredibly fortunate span of his early golf career and how special it felt at the time, and still does to this day. But watching his son accomplish the very same feat was far more special for the veteran high school coach.
“I’ve only ever seen one other person on my team have a hole in one,” Zerwin said. “So, to see anyone have two in two weeks is really extraordinary. And as a dad, it’s fun because he’s been working his tail off on his golf game and it’s great to see him get some rewards out of it.”
Hole-in-ones aside, Matti Zerwin’s goal this season is to qualify for state. Last season, he was the No. 5 player on the Fairview roster and now he’s among the best players on a Knights squad that is a year removed from winning a state title in 2019. In 2021, however, this Fairview group that includes players like Sawyer Sales, Chandler Levy, Ethan Ostenfeld and Nathan Sager hopes to forge its own path.
“It’s hard, but you learn a lot from (watching) better players,” Matti Zerwin said. “It’s hard to get up in the ranks, but you just have to work. A couple years ago, we had those four guys who were all really good friends who grew up playing golf together and won state together. I was a freshman that year and I got to see that whole thing go down, so that was pretty cool. We’re trying to make our own names at Fairview and seeing those guys compete, I think I learned a good bit from those guys that I hope I can help my team with.”
The Knights don’t play today. But they do play a tournament in Loveland the following Thursday, which would seem to line up perfectly for Matti Zerwin to continue his streak of sinking an ace every other Thursday.
No way it happens a third time, though, right?