It’s the up-and-down to beat them all – a putt so absurdly brilliant it has got golfers across the world talking.
On the ninth hole of at Elie golf course in the East Neuk, golfer Greg Walker spurns the opportunity to roll in a seemingly easy three-feet putt for par.
Instead, the Earlsferry Thistle member attempts a miraculous trick shot where he takes what he calls “the scenic rout” by putting off the green, up a slope and then watches in delight as the ball rolls back down and into the hole.
The remarkable shot has already been seen nearly 800,000 times on YouTube and a host of golfing websites, including the PGA’s own site.
Four clubs use Elie golf course. Gordon Fleming, secretary of the largest of those, The Golf House Club, said he has received many emails about the putt,
“My son showed my the clip on YouTube last week and at that point it hadn’t quite gone viral but I’ve had a few emails over the last few days.
“It’s an amazing shot. I’ll not be trying it in the next Medal competition, but might have a wee practice.”
However, not everyone is as impressed.
Several posters suggested the putt had more to do with skill using video editing software than skill with a putter in hand.
Robert Locati said: “That appears to be a poor job of video editing, if you enlarge it you can see a bit of a ‘halo’ around the ball as it is coming back to the hole. That’s a tell-tale sign of being a fake.”
The ninth hole at Elie, named Martin’s Bay after a fisherman who dried his nets there, is a 440-yard par four.