Alabama’s week might have gotten off to a rough start, but with a pair of rare achievements and stellar freshman performances, it will be tough for the Crimson Tide to come away from The Ally Challenge with anything but positive momentum. 

The Crimson Tide bounced back with a strong final round to finish fourth overall. Part of that comeback was due to two incredible shots. 

Within 24 hours of each other, Isabella van der Biest made a hole-in-one and Kynadie Adams made an albatross. 

To put the pair of accomplishments in perspective, the odds of making a hole-in-one are about 12,000 to one. An albatross? Even rarer. Best estimate is a million to one. 

Individually, the feats are impressive. Together, they’re simply outrageous. 

So rare, in fact, that it’s believed to be a program first. 

Both players certainly echoed the shock. 

“That was the first time I have ever hit a hole-in-one, practice or tournament,” van der Biest said. “I didn’t see the ball go in the hole and when I walked up to the green, I couldn’t find the ball. My playing partner said she was going to check the hole — never thinking it would be in there — and then she let out a scream. I couldn’t believe it.” 

Kehoe also expressed similar shock after her albatross. 

“I have never hit an albatross in my life,” Kehoe said. “I hit a good drive and had 224 yards to the hole with the pin in the back left of the green. I knew I had 210 to carry the bunker with the wind in my face so I went right at it. It was probably the best I’ve ever hit a three wood in my life. It got held up a little in the wind, so it landed softly. I saw everyone put their hands up as it was rolling on the green and then I heard them scream.” 

While the achievements might be rare, something becoming increasingly common is great finishes from Crimson Tide freshmen. 

Coming off a fourth place finish the week prior, Adams turned in another great performance for Alabama. She fired off rounds of 73-73-74 en route to her second top-10 finish in consecutive weeks. 

Kehoe also had the best finish of her career donning the script A, finishing T5 (72-74-71). 

Head Coach Mic Potter certainly thinks that the freshmen are getting comfortable. 

“I thought Taylor [Kehoe] did a great job today,” Potter said. “And with Kynadie [Adams] finishing once again in the top-10, I think our freshmen are getting the hang of it. We need to have a consistent four scores and do all those little things that go toward low scores in college golf,” said Potter. 

In her return to the site of her inaugural collegiate victory, sophomore Benedetta Moresco finished T26 (80-74-74). 

Van der Biest and Sarah Edwards both finished T43. 

“We still have a lot to improve on, but we are making progress,” Potter said. “Now we have to get out of digging ourselves a hole to climb out of, and that’s something myself and [assistant coach] Susan [Rosenstiel] will work on.” 

Alabama will close out the fall season at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]