A Tomahawk golfer since his freshman year and a student of the game since he was 8 years old when he’d play with his father, Kyle Hanks couldn’t have imagined his team’s league meet March 24 would be anything special.

Typical of early spring, cold, wet weather pounded down on the golfers at Cedarcrest Golf Course and after several very damp holes, the teams nearly called off playing the back nine.

“We were about an inch away from calling that game off, there was water everywhere. We decided to keep them playing,” said M-P boys golf coach Mike Otness.

It was on the 16th hole, “a long par 3 over water,” according to Cedarcrest golf pro Dave Castleberry, that Hanks hit a hole in one.

Holes in one are rare enough in golf. Castleberry estimated the course sees about six a year. But for Hanks to score one in league — helping him finish in third place with a 75-stroke game — is even more uncommon, according to Otness. He compared it to being struck by lightning.

“There were three coaches there, and one of the coaches had seen it happen once in his coaching career, which goes 10 to 15 years,” he said. “It’s pretty rare.”

Hanks has played the hole dozens of times at least and approached it the way he always had, with a four-iron.

“I just knew it was a pretty good shot. When I got up there, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Then I looked in the hole,” Hanks said.

Since Hanks had the rare score in competition, he wasn’t golfing with teammates but league rivals from Lake Stevens and Snohomish. They were almost as excited as Hanks, the Tomahawk golfer said.

But that day, his father Kevan also happened to be at Cedarcrest, watching Kyle play.

“It was really rewarding. We were kind of in shock, because we weren’t really sure if it went in the cup,” his dad said. “We watched the ball roll up and disappear, and sometimes when it does that it rolls up over the green. We looked at each other and said, ‘Did that go in?’”

The Tomahawks finished a close third behind Snohomish’s 383 and Lake Stevens’ 398 with team score of 411. Nathan Pratt and David Fugate each finished the par 70 course in 80 strokes, while Tanner Cockerill finished with 87 and Brandon Caldwell 89.

The Tomahawks’ next league match is April 8 at Cedarcrest Golf Course.