It was just another day at the Tashkent Lakeside Golf Club - the only golf club in Uzbekistan - but little did I know it would become a memory etched forever in my golfing journey. I was playing with a group of professional colleagues, all seasoned golfers. The 4th hole was our challenge that day - a demanding 185-yard shot from the back tee box. My colleagues were using 7-irons, but I, somewhat modestly, selected my 6-iron. One by one, my colleagues took their shots. When my turn came, I focused carefully. The contact felt perfect - clean and solid. Typical of my routine, I immediately looked away after hitting, casually bending down to collect my tee from the ground. Suddenly, I heard a colleague shouting, "It went in!" His excited "Hurrah!" caught me off guard. Initially, I thought they were joking, playing a prank on me. But then everyone started cheering, "Hole-in-One!" Skeptical and somewhat bewildered, I walked towards the green. As I approached the hole and peered down, there it was - my ball, resting at the bottom of the cup. In that moment, a surreal thought crossed my mind: "After all these years, my first hole-in-one?" The feeling was indescribable. After countless hours of practice, countless rounds, this unexpected moment of perfection had arrived. A single, precise shot that every golfer dreams about, but few ever experience. At the Tashkent Lakeside Golf Club, on that unforgettable day, golf had gifted me its most magical moment.

Akbar Inoyatov