Lynn 13-year-old golfer comes up aces again

LYNN – Talk about a promising start to a golfing career.Matt Sencabaugh of Lynn, who will be an eighth-grader at Pickering Middle School this fall, has accomplished something that most golfers can only dream of ? getting two holes-in-one.Sencabaugh, 13, achieved his second hole-in-one in 10 months when he sent one in on Monday on the sixth hole at 170 yards with a 6-iron at Gannon Golf Course. His first hole-in-one also came on the sixth hole at 170 yards at Gannon, on Sept. 2, 2009; he used a 3 hybrid for that one.On Monday, Sencabaugh – who was golfing with his friend Nick Madden that day – said, “I hit the ball and it lands about a foot behind the hole, takes one bounce and goes right in the cup. I started jumping up and down.”Sencabaugh’s first hole-in-one came in rather dramatic fashion.”It hooked to the left, hit the fairway and took a weird bounce to the right,” he said. “I lost it in the shadows. I looked around the green.”Then, he had an idea of where it might have landed.”I thought of looking into the hole,” he said. “I froze there for a second. I picked it up and started yelling to my friend (Joey Calnan), ‘I got it in!'”One asset that might have helped Sencabaugh is his familiarity with the course.”I go there every couple days,” he said. “I’m out there as much as I can. I can memorize every hole if I want to.”Sencabaugh taught himself how to play golf five years ago after watching Tiger Woods.”It’s relaxing and fun to play,” he said. “It’s a sport you can keep improving on no matter how long you play.”Asked to describe his game today, he said, “It’s good, but still needs improving. I’m not perfect. No one is.”His goal is to play for Lynn English after middle school, but his parents like what he has achieved so far.”They say they’re pretty proud of me,” Sencabaugh said. “Two holes-in-one – most golfers don’t get one. They’re happy and psyched.”