Vermont Golfer Achieves Staggering Odds with Hole-in-One and Two Albatrosses in Four Days

The commonly cited odds of a recreational golfer making a hole-in-one are approximately 12,500 to 1, while an albatross—or double eagle—occurs at roughly 6 million to 1.

But for Tyler Darling, a 45-year-old Vermonter with a 5.8 handicap index, those odds crumbled in early September as he recorded one hole-in-one and two albatrosses across four rounds at Orleans Country Club.

The improbable sequence—a feat calculated at 1 in 14.5 quadrillion—defied statistical expectations and left Darling’s friends and fellow golfers in awe.

An experienced club member for 25 years, Darling typically plays a pre-league round on Tuesdays. His first milestone came on August 25 when his 8-iron narrowly spun back into the hole for his second career hole-in-one. The following weeks saw two albatrosses on par-5s, including a 485-yard hole where he vanished his 7-iron into the cup unseen due to a fairway rise.

“It was right before the men’s league match,” Darling noted, explaining how he covered the $387 clubhouse celebration tab. “I don’t play the lottery. I figure I used up all my luck.”

Courtesy of Tyler Darling

A mathematics enthusiast among his playing partners, Peter Laferriere, used statistical models to quantify the rarity. His calculations, shared with GOLF.com, determined that over 48 total par-3 and par-5 opportunities in consecutive weeks, Darling’s feats multiplied to odds longer than 1 in 14.5 quadrillion—42 million times rarer than the Mega Millions jackpot. Even with elite-level assumptions, the streak remains astronomical in probability.

Darling’s next ambition? Hoisting out on a par-4 second shot—a feat he claims will materialize “in a week or two.”

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