Man Denied $10,000 Prize After Nailing Hole-In-One On Florida Golf Course
It was a one-in-a-million shot. A Central Florida golfer made a hole-in-one in a local tournament and he was supposed to get a $10,000 prize, but the company responsible for the payout is only offering half.
Matt Santangelo will freely admit he has an addiction.
"It's a hate-love relationship," he said. "You get hooked on it."
Matt loves Florida golf and, back in May, he was playing in a charity tournament at Victoria Hills Golf Club in DeLand and any player who made a hole-in-one on the 12th hole would win $10,000.
"I selected a 3-iron. I was gonna go with a 9-wood, and I says, 'Ahhh, I hit a perfect shot,'" Matt said.
It was long and straight and right in the cup, the first ace of Matt's golfing life and he was $10,000 richer, or so he thought.
"Yeah, at this point I do [think they're ripping me off]," he said.
The tournament was sponsored by the Main Street DeLand Association, which took out an insurance policy with an outfit called U.S. Hole In One. If somebody made an ace, U.S. Hole In One would have to pay, but the insurance company has only offered to give Matt half of the $10,000 prize.
The company claims the contest rules called for a shot of 212 yards, but the spot where Matt and the other 150 players teed off from was 177 yards.
Main Street DeLand fired off a letter to the insurance carrier urging them to pay Matt the full $10,000, but so far U.S. Hole In One won't budge.
"And fortunately, or unfortunately, I won it. We're gonna see. But at least I got the hole-in-one on a Florida golf course. They can't take that away from me," Matt said.
U.S. Hole In One is based near Philadelphia. A company spokesman did not return a phone call from Eyewitness News on Monday. Main Street DeLand's director said he will never use the company again for future charity tournaments.
Matt Santangelo will freely admit he has an addiction.
"It's a hate-love relationship," he said. "You get hooked on it."
Matt loves Florida golf and, back in May, he was playing in a charity tournament at Victoria Hills Golf Club in DeLand and any player who made a hole-in-one on the 12th hole would win $10,000.
"I selected a 3-iron. I was gonna go with a 9-wood, and I says, 'Ahhh, I hit a perfect shot,'" Matt said.
It was long and straight and right in the cup, the first ace of Matt's golfing life and he was $10,000 richer, or so he thought.
"Yeah, at this point I do [think they're ripping me off]," he said.
The tournament was sponsored by the Main Street DeLand Association, which took out an insurance policy with an outfit called U.S. Hole In One. If somebody made an ace, U.S. Hole In One would have to pay, but the insurance company has only offered to give Matt half of the $10,000 prize.
The company claims the contest rules called for a shot of 212 yards, but the spot where Matt and the other 150 players teed off from was 177 yards.
Main Street DeLand fired off a letter to the insurance carrier urging them to pay Matt the full $10,000, but so far U.S. Hole In One won't budge.
"And fortunately, or unfortunately, I won it. We're gonna see. But at least I got the hole-in-one on a Florida golf course. They can't take that away from me," Matt said.
U.S. Hole In One is based near Philadelphia. A company spokesman did not return a phone call from Eyewitness News on Monday. Main Street DeLand's director said he will never use the company again for future charity tournaments.
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