St. Joseph boys golfer Petrishen cards ace on Florida trip

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, December 24, 2017 | 2:01 PM

Derek Petrishen wasn't having his best golf round during his recent trip to Florida, but he improved it in a hurry.

The St. Joseph senior notched his first hole-in-one while playing with his father Dec. 21 at Stone Creek Golf Course in Ocala, Fla.

“I didn't even see it because the sun was in my eyes,” said Petrishen, who aced the 202-yard 17th hole with a 4-iron. “I just had to pick a target and hit at it because I couldn't see anything — I couldn't see the flag. We got up there and didn't see a ball, and I jokingly said to my dad, ‘It could be, but I doubt it.' Then as I got closer, I saw the ball mark. I freaked out. I couldn't believe it.”

Said Petrishen's father, Nick, “I think it was an early Christmas present for mom and dad.”

The eagle coupled with a birdie on the previous hole improved Petrishen's round immensely, as he finished with a 74.

Petrishen, who advanced to the PIAA Western Regional as a senior, played in a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour in Orlando earlier in the trip with his father, and he also visited Florida Golf Coast, which he's considering along with Coastal Carolina and Methodist for their PGA Golf Management programs. Graduates of the programs can pursue careers in both manufacturing or golf course work.

Of his hole-in-one, Petrishen said he “still can't really believe it.”

“I've never really done anything like that,” he said. “I've holed out from about 30 yards, but that's about it.”

Tags: St. Joseph