Arthur Spring has bagged the rarest of birds. With a three-wood second shot of 240 yards over water, the Tralee doctor scored an albratross two on the difficult, 540-yard par-five 13th hole at Tipperary County GC at Dundrum.

The occasion was the first Wings Charity Alliance of the season, last Monday. "At seven over par after 12 holes, I felt like retiring, but I needed the practice," he said. "And then it happened, with a Taylor Made spoon which my friend Bob Menne of the US, threw into my car in disgust after a senior's tournament at the Belfry." Spring, who will be returning to the European Seniors' tour school later this year, has had six holes in one, four of them in competition. In fact he finished birdie, birdie, hole-in-one at Killarney's Mahony's Point to win a Wings event in 1983 by a shot. But nothing compared to the albatross.

Incidentally, the longest recorded albatross was by Chief Petty Officer Kevin Murray of Chicago, on the 647-yard second hole at Guam Navy Club on January 3rd 1982. Ten years previously, John Eakin of California holed his second shot at the 609-yard 15th at Mahaka Inn in Hawaii. Most recently, former Scottish international Graham Rankin had a two at the 592-yard 18th at Wittelsbacker GC in the 1994 German Amateur Championship.

Bruce Devlin had a two at the 535-yard eighth hole at Augusta National in the 1967 US Masters.