A Kim Jong Il-type start for amateur golfer Shoukun Yamashita at the New Zealand Golf Open in Arrowtown.
Playing as part of the pro-am with Korean professionals Youngan Song and Hyun Woo Ryu, he hit a hole-in-one with a rescue club on the 142m par three 10 at The Hills course.
It was his first shot of the day, and brought to mind the former North Korean leader's 38-under-par effort, including 11 holes-in-one, when he first touched golf clubs in 1994.
Yesterday tournament chairman John Hart said the first amateur to get an ace would get free entry next year, a prize valued in the vicinity of $10,000.
Australian Matthew Millar is the early leader of the tournament at four-under-par through four holes, also on the Hills rather than the Millbrook course.
