Jim Smith

EVANS CITY — Forget about making history. Jim Smith just wanted the victory.

Smith, 62, of Evans City recorded the first double eagle in the nine-year history of Strawberry Ridge Golf Course, near Zelienople, Wednesday.

His second shot found the cup on the 420-yard, par-5 No. 7 hole. He used a 5-iron from 170 yards out.

"That hole is a dogleg left and my drive set up that second shot," Smith said. "I was able to cut the corner of the trees to give myself an open shot."

Smith works part time in the pro shop at Strawberry Ridge. He was playing with three other employees of the course, pro shop worker Dan Beagle, grasscutter Steve Stauffer and general manager Andy Graff, in a friendly two-on-two match.

They teed off from the gold tees, the shortest of three choices.

"I was hitting that second shot toward the west, into the setting sun," Smith said. "I saw the ball going up in the air and knew I caught it good and straight — right at the hole.

"I never saw it come down. But when we approached the green, I saw the ball in the cup. The pin was leaning, holding the ball up. When we took the flag out, the ball fell right in.

"I was pumped up that my team won the hole and we didn't have to putt. One of the other guys pointed at the ball and said: 'Do you know what you just did?' That's when it hit me," Smith added.

The foursome plays in the Strawberry Ridge Runners Wednesday evening league during the summer. Once league play ends, they get together to play each Wednesday evening at the course.

The league plays from a teebox that makes the No. 7 hole longer than 500 yards, but "the four of us used the gold tees on this day because we're all senior citizens," Smith said.

Smith, who has been a golfer for 45 years, also plays nine holes each Monday at Krendale.

Strawberry Ridge owner Tim McNulty confirmed Smith's double eagle was the golf course's first.

"It's a rare thing anywhere," McNulty said. "(No. 7) is a flat hole, but that dogleg makes it tough."

Smith has never gotten a hole-in-one in his lifetime. He said he came close on a par-3 hole in Orlando, Fla., two years ago.

"My golf ball was hanging on the rim. We took a picture of it," he said.

He estimates notching 20 to 30 eagles during his golf career.

"I'm a little better than a bogey golfer now, but I've done all right in my day," Smith said.

His golf group vacations in Virginia, where they play 45 holes a day, in June.

"I still love the game. We always play after work twice a week," Smith said. "Getting a double eagle ... you don't realize it at the moment, but it's probably something I'll never do again."