Two brothers, two aces

The odds of a golfer making a hole-in-one in any given round -- according to people who are good enough with numbers to study these things -- are 5,000-to-one.

So what are the odds that two brothers, in this case Steve and Enrico Piraino of Charlotte, would both make a hole-in-one on the same day?

Whatever the odds, it happened on Feb. 11.

Steve Piraino made his ace on the par-3 seventh hole on Carmel Country Club’s North Course, hitting a 7-iron shot just past the flag on the 150-yard hole, and having it roll back into the cup.
Ernico made his ace the same day at The Peninsula Club, where he holed a 6-iron shot on the par-3 fourth hole.

And to think, they almost played golf together that day.

“My son, Philip, was at (Steve’s) house that day and he called me about 5:30 that afternoon,” Enrico said. “I told him I’d played golf and made a hole-in-one.

“My brother got home about 7:30 that night and he told my son that he’d made a hole-in-one. Philip said, ‘You’re kidding me. My dad did too.’”

Earlier that day, Enrico Piraino had called his brother inviting him to play at The Peninsula but Steve Piraino already had a game at Carmel.

For the record, it was Steve’s third career ace, his second in less than two years.

For Enrico, it was his first ace.

“Steve gets more chances because he plays more,” his brother said.

The brothers haven’t seen each other since they made their matching aces and neither is quite sure who gets stuck with the traditional bar tab.

“We haven’t decided that yet,” Enrico said.