# 3 under par? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403 "2001-08-15T16:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@duffman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffman)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/1 "2001-08-15T16:26:30Z")
I was on a par five the other day and hit my second shot on the green (big surprise) and I wondered, what happens if I would have hit that in. I know 1 under is a birdie and 2 under is an eagle, but what is 3 under and has anyone witnessed it happening legitimitely? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/2 "2001-08-15T16:28:36Z")
Wow! A 2 on a par 5 is called a double eagle or an albatross. The former is the official name and the latter the nickname. I actually played with a guy who got one. We thought he had lost his ball. Weirdly, I played with someone who scored a double eagle before I played with anyone who had a hole in one. Double eagles are very rare. The PGA tour only gets 1 or 2 a year. ---
**Author:** ![gorewonfla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@gorewonfla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorewonfla)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/3 "2001-08-15T17:41:05Z")
I always thought it was an ace. I’ve never seen one in real life outside mini-golf, so it’s fairly irrelevant to me, but one of the big shots I golf with on occasion always points out how he got an ace (a 2 on a par 5) whenever we go by that hole. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/4 "2001-08-15T17:41:23Z")
And the most famous double eagle was the one made by Gene Sarazin in the 1935 Masters. It’s one important reason why the Masters is considered a major, and gave Sarazin a career grand slam. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/5 "2001-08-15T18:33:35Z")
I think ace is less frequently used for a double eagle and more frequently used for a hole in one. Of course, if you get a hole in one on a par 4, it’s the same thing. And people do get holes in one on par 4 holes, albeit rarely. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/6 "2001-08-15T18:44:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gorewonfla \* > \*\*I always thought it was an ace. I’ve never seen one in real life outside mini-golf, so it’s fairly irrelevant to me, but one of the big shots I golf with on occasion always points out how he got an ace (a 2 on a par 5) whenever we go by that hole. \*\* No. An Ace is when the ball goes in the hole from the tee shot, regardless if it’s a par 3, 4 or 5. A double-eagle is (making a 2 on a par 5) actually quite rare compared to holes-in-one. Making a double-eagle in competition is rare, making it in a major is stupendous (Sarazen). This years British Open was amazing in that there were 4, or 5, can’t remember, double eagles on the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/7 "2001-08-15T19:51:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BF \* > **No. An Ace is when the ball goes in the hole from the tee shot, regardless if it’s a par 3, 4 or 5.** A hole-in from the tee shot on a par 5 is called Divine Intervention ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/8 "2001-08-15T20:25:02Z")
I dug up an article from 1999 about the frequency of double eagles to holes-in-one on the PGA tour. In 1998, there were 27 holes-in-one to 1 double eagles 1997, 31 and 2 1996, 39 and 1 1995, 35 and 2 1994, 44 and 3 1993, 25 and 4 1992, 33 and 2 1991, 29 and 5 1990, 34 and 5 1989, 32 and 1 There were two double eagles in the British Open this year. One by Jeff Maggert and one by Greg Owen. ---
**Author:** ![gorewonfla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@gorewonfla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorewonfla)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/9 "2001-08-15T21:37:29Z")
Thanks, I can’t wait to correct the big shot next time we hit the links together. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/10 "2001-08-15T22:12:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RM Mentock \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by BF \* > > **No. An Ace is when the ball goes in the hole from the tee shot, regardless if it’s a par 3, 4 or 5.** > > A hole-in from the tee shot on a par 5 is called Divine Intervention \*\* Which just proves to the North Koreans that their supreme leader (Kim Il-Jong, I think) **is** a holy man, since he reportedly has shot a 38 for 18 holes!! Tiger who?!?! ---
**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/11 "2001-08-15T23:02:38Z")
> [@](#): > > A 2 on a par 5 is called a double eagle or an albatross. The former is the official name and the latter the nickname. I don’t believe there is an “official” name for these things, other than “par” (in fact, if I recall correctly, “bogey” initially was “par”). Generally, “double eagle” is the term used on the west side of the Atlantic, and “albatross” is the preferred term on the other side. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-under-par/76403/12 "2001-08-15T23:42:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gorewonfla \* > \*\*Thanks, I can’t wait to correct the big shot next time we hit the links together. \*\* I believe the proper response to such a situation is to say “Holy S\*&_! It’s in the f_&(\*&’ hole!”