Result- Winter Stableford. King’s. Sat 13th Dec.

On a day when most sensible souls would have stayed by the fire, a hardy field took to the King’s Course at Gleneagles for yesterday’s Winter Stableford. The famous Perthshire layout showed all of its teeth. A bitter wind scythed across the moorland, turning routine yardages into guessing games and sending tee shots on bewildering arcs. Pars were precious; stableford points hard‑earned.

Yet in the middle of this stern examination came a moment of pure golfing theatre – the sort of shot that will be recounted in the clubhouse for many winters to come.

Fletcher’s Day in the Wind

Congratulations are due to the overall winner, Jonathon Fletcher, whose excellent 42 points set a standard that no one else could match. In conditions that made club selection an exercise in faith as much as judgment, Fletcher’s round was a model of controlled aggression and resilience.

But the headline is not just that he won. It is how he did it.

Standing on the 5th tee – a hole that was playing every inch of its length into the teeth of the wind – Fletcher chose, unusually for him, to leave the driver in the bag. Known among his regular playing partners for favouring the big stick whenever possible, he instead reached for a 3‑wood, trusting flight and feel over sheer power.

What followed was the shot of his golfing life.

The ball launched low and penetrating into the wind, held its line beautifully, pitched on the ideal spot at the front of the green and, to the disbelief of the group, tracked unerringly towards the flag. A single hop, a brief roll, and then the moment every golfer dreams of: the ball disappeared into the cup for Fletcher’s first ever hole‑in‑one.

There were no theatrics from the elements, no favourable bounce off a bank; just a perfectly struck, bravely chosen shot in the harshest of conditions. In winter golf, on the King’s, into that wind, with a 3‑wood instead of his customary driver – it was a remarkable combination of courage, course management and execution.

An Achievement to Savour

Hole‑in‑ones are rare enough in calm summer medals. To achieve one in a winter stableford, on one of Scotland’s most storied courses, is something truly special. Fletcher’s ace would have been memorable in any circumstances; that it came while compiling a winning tally only underlines the quality of his day’s work.

Those who battled the conditions and duly returned cards can take pride in having been part of an occasion that will be spoken about in future years: “Were you there the day Fletcher holed out with a 3‑wood at the 5th?”

Final Word

So while the record books will show Jonathon Fletcher as the Winter Stableford winner on the King’s Course, those who played alongside him – and those who hear the story in the clubhouse – will remember something even greater:

A golfer, facing a brutal wind on a famous hole, set aside his usual club, trusted his judgement, and struck the shot of a lifetime.

Many congratulations, Jonathon, on a fine victory – and above all on a truly extraordinary first hole‑in‑one.