A HOLE-on-one at 101

<br>DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ It took Harold Stilson 51 years to sink his first hole-in-one. This week, he did it for the sixth time _ at age 101. <br><br>Stilson used a 4-iron to ace the 108-yard,

Thursday, May 17th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ It took Harold Stilson 51 years to sink his first hole-in-one. This week, he did it for the sixth time _ at age 101.

Stilson used a 4-iron to ace the 108-yard, par 3 16th hole Wednesday at Deerfield Country Club. In doing so, he became the oldest golfer to record a hole-in-one.

Stilson, who turned 101 April 10, was playing in a tournament with neighbor Ken Fleming, 83, and Fleming's son Pat, 56.

``I didn't think I hit it very well,'' Stilson said. ``I turned and walked away and they (Ken and Pat) were shouting: 'It went in! It went in!'''

The hole-in-one was Stilson's sixth in 30 years.

``It was a perfect shot,'' Ken Fleming said. ``It rolled right into the hole and my son and I let out a hoot and a holler. Harold was just ho-hum about it.''

According to Golf Digest, Otto Bucher was the oldest golfer to record a hole-in-one. He was 99 when he aced the 130-yard, 12th hole at La Manga Golf Club in Spain on Jan. 13, 1985.

Stilson, a 27-handicap golfer, started playing golf at age of 20, but didn't make his first hole-in-one until he was 71.