Seventeen million to one. That is the estimated odds of what has happened on the 15th hole of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Long-time friends Rob Davis, 67, and David Lewis, 64, golfing partners of more than 30 years, both made a hole-in-one, on the same hole and in the same round.

Rob holed his first ace with a pitching wedge on the 107-yard, par-three hole.

David followed moments later with the same club for what was his second hole-in-one, around 12 years after his first.

“We knew my shot had hit the flag, but because of the green’s topography we couldn’t see the base of the pin,” said Rob.

“I honestly thought it had bounced off into the fringe, so I wasn’t that excited at first. David’s looked close too, but again, we couldn’t see the finish.

“When we walked up and saw no balls on the green, one of our playing partners told us to go to the hole together. Seeing both balls in there was surreal. We just shook hands and tried to take it all in.”