THREE amateur golfers have thrown down the gauntlet for 2018 after achieving an incredible feat at the height of the golf season.

The trio each hit a hole in one on the 15th pin on the same day at Oxford Golf Club.

Incredibly, two of them hit consecutive holes in one just seconds apart in a remarkable day at the golf club in Hilltop Road, Cowley in July.

Michael Bidmead, 72, and Milos Bilic, 51, were competing in a 'three-ball' match when they both hit holes in one on the 201-yard par three hole.

The odds of two players achieving the same feat one after the other have been calculated at more than 17 million to one, according to the National Hole in One Registry.

Mr Bilic, a gardener, teed off first, and struck the ball with a six iron towards the pin, but because the green is in a dip, the golfers could not see how his ball ended up.

Mr Bidmead, a retired kitchen surveyor from Blackbird Leys, then struck a six iron straight at the flag and they walked up the fairway after the third player in their group had taken his shot.

They were surprised when they only saw one ball on the green – but dared not think 'the impossible'.

But when they saw their two Galloway balls nestled in the hole their surprise turned to joy.

"I was buzzing," said Mr Bilic, of Marston, who plays off a handicap of 10.

"It's a bit of a blur but we punched the air with delight, hugged and shook each other’s hands.

"I've been playing golf for 18 years and it was my first hole in one.

"It was the best shot I've ever played, but it's luck really – I should have got a lottery ticket that week."

Mr Bidmead, who has a handicap of seven, added: "We both hit the ball well and knew we were close – but we didn't expect to see both our balls in the hole."

After completing their round the pair went into the clubhouse to enjoy the golfing tradition of buying the drinks – only to discover Alan Green, 60, of Thame, had already been lining them up, after getting a hole in one at the same hole earlier in the day.

Mr Bidmead said: "The barman couldn't believe it when we walked in and told him."

Mr Green, a builder, who also used a six iron to tee off, said: "It was my first hole in one and I've been playing 38 years.

"I was delighted, a few of my friends have got holes in one and it is something you dream about, so it felt fantastic."

Mr Green, who has a handicap of 14, was playing in a competition and won a £250 Hugo Boss watch for his hole in one.

It was Mr Bidmead's 10th hole in one since he took up the game as a youngster in 1978.