Like Son, Like Father
There must be something in the water in Spokane, Wash.
Having celebrated his son’s miraculous two holes-in-one on the same hole in two consecutive days during a U.S. Open Qualifier, proud father Jim Von Lossow was happy to retell the story of this uncommon feat. In fact, as he made his way down the third fairway at Gearhart Golf Links on April 6, 2021, with three of his other Northwest Hickory Players members (Rob Ahlschwede, John Henry Williams, and Rob Birman), Von Lossow was telling the story once again. “We were walking together and I asked him about Andrew’s Instagram posts,” said Birman. Andrew’s story was shared widely on the social media platform and also covered in Golf Week. “Andrew was with us the day that we founded Northwest Hickory Players,” continued Birman. “Jim and I also happened to be paired together at the inaugural Spokane Hickory Open two years ago as we watched his son card a two on a par five (with hickories, of course) right in front of us. His son Andrew is certainly a skilled and gifted player.”
The NWHP members were at Gearhart on April 6 to film some promos for the forthcoming U.S. Hickory Open this September (2021). Having spent the morning in interviews and doing some on-the-course filming, the foursome set out after lunch for a casual round.
“Jim had the honors as we stepped to the fourth tee,” said Birman. “It’s a 163-yard par three with a substantial mound left of the green surface.” Oddly, that’s precisely the same yardage as the 14th hole at Wine Valley Golf Course in Walla Walla where his son carded his two aces last October. “The flag was in the front and we had a bit of a headwind.” Jim used his MacGregor BB iron to send his ball on a high flight with cut spin into the breeze. “As the ball descended, it hit the left side of the green and just started trickling toward the center,” recalled Birman. “We all started saying, that’s got a chance. It just kept rolling, and rolling, and – in an instant – disappeared.” The four suspect their shouts were heard up in Astoria at the Country Club, as the racket was instantaneous. It was Jim’s first hickory hole-in-one.
Wedgy Winchester, long drive champion from 1988 and trick shot artist also witnessed the feat from his vantage point on the fifth tee. The Northwest Hickory Players started a Hickory DoDo Club for all hickory holes-in-one in their group. Von Lossow is now the 11th player to join the ranks. Birman captured the scene at the green on video while John Henry Williams took some still photos.
Congratulations, Jim!
