Comet 3-time All-NEIC golfer Carson Gallup records ‘Albatross’ hole-in-one during PGA Junior Golf Tour

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

Among the avian golf terms, it’s the rarest of birds.

Most are familiar with the “Birdie” (1 stroke under par) and the “Eagle” (2 strokes under) … but what about the “Albatross”?

That’s when you sink the ball 3 strokes under par.

Indeed, an Albatross is about as rare as a Dodo Bird sighting.

More commonly referred to as a “Double Eagle”, you shoot an Albatross by way of carding a 2 on a Par 5, or hitting a hole-in-one on a Par 4.

Carson Gallup did the latter while competing on the Iowa PGA Junior Golf Tour this summer.

Playing at the Okoboji Junior Open at Brooks Golf Course on July 28-29, Gallup aced the course’s 340-yard, Par-4 hole No. 3 in the first round of play.

Finishing with a 53 after 13 holes before play was suspended due to weather conditions, Gallup shot a 2-over 18-hole score of 73 in the second round for a total of 126, which tied him for second with Elijah Anderson of Clear Lake.

Hunter Schmidt of Dunnell, Minnesota won the tournament with a two-day score of 125.

There were 43 golfers registered for the Okoboji Junior Open

During the tour this summer, Gallup tied for first at the Greater Cedar Rapids Open on July 7, placed third at the Woodland Hills Junior Open on June 20, and tied for third at the Waterloo Junior Classic on Aug. 16.

In eight events this season, Gallup has placed in the Top 7 in six of them.

With a total of 760.17 placement points, Gallup is ranked in the Top 25 in Iowa PGA Junior Golf Player of the Year standings with many of those ranked ahead of him having participated in more tournaments.

During last year’s tour, Gallup placed in the Top 9 in all five of the tournaments he entered including a second-place showing at the Cedar Rapids Junior.

An incoming senior this school year, Gallup is a three-time All-Northeast Iowa Conference Golf Team performer while representing Charles City High School.