VIDEO: Regina’s Taylor Carter hits hole-in-one at Special Olympics Canada Summer Games

“But then all of a sudden people started to celebrate and said that I got a hole-in-one, and I just blacked out.”

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(Video Credit: Courtesy Taylor Carter)

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Carter said he didn’t fully process what had happened in the moment. He made his way toward the green to check for himself.

“When I got up there it was it was crazy,” Carter said.

The ace came after Carter had struggled with his confidence during the opening day of competition.

He said he was able to find his rhythm again on the second day, setting himself up for a final round in which he tried to keep his expectations simple.

“I just told myself to go out there and try your best and no matter what happens at least you tried,” Carter said.

That mindset produced a shot Carter never thought he would make in competition.

“I’ve been doing this since I was four years old and I never expected to make a make a hole-in-one in a tournament ever,” Carter said.

“And to finally do that, it’s it’s gonna stay in my head forever and it’s unreal.”

The celebration was a family affair.

Carter’s nephew, Ashton, was caddying for him and was alongside him when the ball disappeared into the cup.

His father was also among those watching and was the first to realize what had happened, according to Special Olympics Canada.

The excitement was enough to send Carter’s heart rate soaring., as his watch detected an unusually high pulse and attempted to trigger an emergency services call.

The people around Carter weren’t nearly as concerned. They were celebrating.

One of his playing partners even tackled him after the ace.

Carter said having his family there made the accomplishment even more meaningful.

“If it wasn’t for them, I probably would have not done as well as I did but I want to have their support and trust in me to finish the job, it means a lot,” Carter said.

The hole-in-one also provided a bright moment after a challenging start to the tournament.

“The first day I struggled a lot,” Carter said.

“I had a little less confident in myself.”

By the second day, Carter said he, “found my group my groove again.”

That confidence, combined with the support around him, carried into the final round.

Carter also praised his Team Saskatchewan teammates, describing a group that supported and encouraged one another throughout the Games.

“They’re very supportive of each other and we try to build up each other,” Carter said.

The team made sure there was plenty of room for laughter, too.

“We’re just out here having fun and vibing together and making sure that we’re all okay and safe,” Carter said.

For Carter, representing Saskatchewan at the Games was an honour and thanked the Special Olympics staff and crew, volunteers, members, other competing teams and the Medicine Hat community for helping make the experience possible.

Now Carter plans to frame the ball, to preserve the most memorable part of the experience.

It will serve as a reminder of the shot he never expected to make, and the celebration that followed.

For a golfer who has been playing since childhood, the significance of finally recording a hole-in-one in tournament play hasn’t been lost on him.

“And to finally do that, it’s it’s gonna stay in my head forever,” Carter said.

“It’s unreal.”

— With files from Sean Rooney

by Jett Schwaier

VIDEO: Regina’s Taylor Carter hits hole-in-one at Special Olympics Canada Summer Games

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