The late great Shane Warne was not only one of the best ever cricketers, he was also an avid golfer and travelled all over the world to play the sport following his retirement from international cricket in 2007.
During one particular trip in 2008, Warne visited Augusta shortly before that year's Masters and promptly hit his first ever hole-in-one at the fabled 16th hole. Warne later claimed he was "the only person to do it" to a back-right pin on the 16th, recounting the story in an interview with Sporting News Australia.
"I went with a couple of my great mates, Rick Lewis and Ross Desmond," Warne said of the trip. "We had this 10-day golf trip planned for a long time, so we did that, played all these golf courses and then we got to Augusta.
"We played three rounds [at Augusta] and this was the third round. I played the 16th two other times; one I made a birdie to a front pin - a lot of pros make birdies there - and the second time I played 16th I pulled it into the water, no good.
"The third time we played was the one. I think it was 159 yards up into the breeze... and I hit (my shots) quite high so I was worried if I hit a 7 iron it wouldn't be enough.
"The pin is the Friday pin, which is the back right pin, which has never ever had a hole-in-one... no one has ever had a hole-in-one there in the history of the club. I hit a 6 iron, and as you hit you sort of say 'oh I've hit that well'... suddenly, one bounce, boom, straight in!
"I've never ever had a hole-in-one, never gone close, so it was my first hole-in-one and I love my golf, so to have a hole-in-one at Augusta at one of the most iconic holes on the planet, to a back right pin that no one has ever done, to be the only person to do it, I'll take that."
Warne also described Augusta as the "mecca of golf" and stated that no other sporting venue is quite like Augusta. "It's not until you actually get to Augusta until you realise how special the place is," he added.
"Everything about it. There's a magic, even the non-golf lovers I think would love it. It's a special place, it's the mecca of golf.
"Any golfer, if you asked 'you could play any course where would you play?', I think everyone would say Augusta. There are so many iconic venues in sport around the world, but I think there's nothing like Augusta.
"It captures the imagination of the public, and not just golf lovers or sport lovers, everyone watches the Masters because something always happens on the back nine at the Masters... it is just unique."
