GREENSBORO, N.C. – Months became days.
Ben Crow was sitting with his friends in a festive mood, reliving the previous day's golf tournament he participated in when his world changed.
His phone buzzed.
The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) senior business major's head jerked back when he heard the ominous news. The urgency intensified.
"My mom called to tell me that my dad was in hospice care and he had only a week to live," Crow said. "I went home immediately. I went and saw him on a Friday. He was in bad shape. I was able to tell him that I love him.
He said his final goodbye to Ken Crow, his father on September 1st during a memorial service.
Then, felt his presence the next day -- channeled through consecutive hole-in-ones on Pinehurst Cradle's course, a place his father worked for over 20 years.
The swings for the ages were a symbolic tribute to his dad, who passed away from colon cancer on August 23rd.
"It's hard to put in words how special that was," said Crow as his eyes sparkled at the memory. "It's kind of a weird and an out-of-body experience. Looking back on that day, he had a hand in helping me do that. It's crazy to be able to make one. To make two back-to-back is crazy. What are the odds? I have no idea."
After balls went into the hole, spectators went wild, recognizing they witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. An amateur golfer's chances of hitting a hole-in-one are estimated at 12,500 to one. A double hole-in-one in consecutive shots is believed to be at least one million to one.
They say you have a better chance of being struck by lightning in your life than making two holes in one in a single round.
"It's something that will mean something to me the rest of my life," Crow said. "I don't think I could've honored him in any other way because he hadn't seen my other two hole-in-ones before. He finally got to see those two."
Crow, who kissed his father on the forehead during his final visit, had a feeling that morning.
"On the drive to Pinehurst, I wasn't thinking about a hole in one, but I had an idea that the day would be special," Crow said. "Something cool is going to happen like maybe I'll have a good round, or my mom would have a good day."
Crow played two balls. He hit the first ball and it rolled 30 feet downhill into the hole. A few minutes later, he played the second ball and enjoyed a repeat effort, which sent the spectators into a frenzy.
"When I came back to school at the start of August, I was originally told that he had four to six months to live," Crow said. "So, my mindset coming in here this semester was to get everything done, grind it out and I'll be back home for winter break to spend the last few months and days with my dad."
Instead, life threw Crow a curve ball. He still remembers the last time he saw his father.
"He had a big smile on his face seeing me walk into the room," Crow said. "He couldn't verbally recognize that I was there, but he showed it through his emotions. It's kind of weird because it's usually a sad time to see someone like that, but I just knew he had been suffering for about a year and a half. I knew it was about to come to an end. It's almost like a passing of a torch."
His dad will be with Crow each step he takes on the golf course forever because the initials "K.C." are stitched on his son's golf bag that he carries with him during tournaments.
Crow's positivity has been an asset during his UNCG career. This year, he is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Association (SAAC) executive board. Crow has a goal to manage a golf course or work in the golf industry.
Crow's father was a rock in his life and an influence on why he started playing golf. There's a photo of a young Crow with a golf ball in his hand.
"The values of family and faith are what has stuck with me," Crow said. "He instilled those in my life at an early age. He always told me to have a good mental attitude and a positive outlook on life. One thing he always shared with me was 'as soon as you stop being positive and having fun, you should stop playing.' He had a major impact on me, through all aspects of my life."
