Underwriters Say Hole-in-Ones at West Virginia’s Greenbrier Classic Too Short

Insurance underwriters claim they shouldn’t be responsible for payouts to golf fans for two holes-in-one made during the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic because the shots weren’t long enough.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the tournament’s underwriters filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against The Greenbrier Classic’s nonprofit financial arm, Old White Charities.

Fans in the 18th-hole grandstands receive payouts of $100 for the first hole-in-one during the tournament, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third.

George McNeill and Justin Thomas each made aces from 137 yards with pitching wedges on the par-3 18th on July 3, prompting total payouts of $192,000 to fans. The underwriters say Old White Charities had agreed to a minimum distance of 170 yards.

A message left for Old White Charities wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.