BUTLER TWP — He’s been awaiting this present for 54 years.

Nearly 20 years ago, he came tantalizingly close to receiving it. He’s since had to watch numerous other family members get one.

On Thursday, finally, Frank Rajchel gift-wrapped a hole-in-one for himself — on his 74th birthday.

“Both of my sons have gotten a hole-in-one, my grandson, my son-in-law ... It finally happened for me,” Rajchel said. “And on my birthday yet ... simply amazing.

Rajchel was playing a round of golf alone Thursday at Aubrey’s Dubbs Dred. He used a gap wedge to secure an ace on the No. 10, 115-yard hole.

Playing from the seniors tee, Rajchel hit a shot that took one bounce on to the green and rolled in.

“I didn’t even see it go in,” he said. “George Aubrey’s wife was walking her dog past the hole at the time, turned around and said, ‘Nice shot. It’s in the hole.’

“I could not believe it. I thought that would never happen.”

Twenty years ago, it should have.

Rajchel hit a tee shot on the No. 11 hole at Armco (now Oakview) Golf Course that rolled along the green and came to rest against the flagpole in the cup.

“Whoever put the flag back in there left the pole leaning and that’s what kept the ball out of the hole,” Rajchel said. “If I had moved the flag, the ball would have dropped into the hole.

“It was a hole-in-one without being a hole-in-one. I couldn’t count that.”

So he kept waiting.

Sons Vince and Bill Rajchel scored aces: Vince’s on No. 13 at Bavarian Hills in St. Marys, Bill’s on the No. 5 hole at Aubrey’s. Grandson Ryan Loverick scored an ace on the No. 12 hole at Aubrey’s.

Rajchel’s son-in-law, Greg Loverick, got his hole-in-one on No. 17 at Aubrey’s last year.

“It sure did look like I was gonna be the one left out,” Rajchel admitted. “I’ve come within a couple of inches on a couple of other shots over the years.”

During his golf career, Rajchel has finished runner up at the Oakview club championship, won the Seniors title there in 1991, and has been a First Flight champion of the Butler Eagle County Amateur.

He joined Aubrey’s as a member this year and has been playing the course three times a week.

“I’m going to play in a scramble Sunday, so I was out there trying a few things.” he said. “I started hitting the ball pretty good and I knew that particular (hole-in-one) shot looked good coming off the club.”

A 13-handicap golfer, Rajchel carded an 81 on this day. He admitted to being thrown off his game immediately after scoring his ace.

“I was so excited, I hooked my tee shot on No. 11 so bad, it probably hit Route 422,” he said, laughing.

A small price to pay for the shot before.

“I practically did a dance when I walked to the hole and saw the ball in there. I guess you never know,” Rajchel said.