WATCH: First ever hole-in-one at NGC

Cape Town - It took 36 years to happen, and for Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti to do what neither Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo or so many of the world’s other top professional golfers couldn’t achieve.

On Friday, Zanotti became the first golfer in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player to score a hole in one. He did so on the par-three fourth hole on his way to a 68 and a total of six under par - two strokes off the lead of Sweden’s Alex Noren.

But as delighted as he was by the hole in one, Zanotti was somewhat perplexed that he was only the first to achieve this.

“That’s very strange. When the people told me it was the first hole in one in the history of the tournament, it sounded strange for me. But then the people from the tournament confirmed it to me. Lucky for me, I’m the first one,” said Zanotti.

For his efforts, Zanotti was rewarded with diamond status by the Sun International MVG programme with an elite range of benefits and privileges at Sun International resorts.

“I think it was just a perfect club, a perfect distance for me with a 7-iron,” Zanotti said of his ace.

“The wind was helping a little, so the ball, it was going to release a little. It’s always exciting to make a hole-in-one. And then when they told me it was the first one in the history of this golf tournament, I enjoyed it even more.

“This is my second one in a golf tournament. I have had more in practice rounds, six or seven. But in a tournament, it's my second. And my first on the European Tour.”

WATCH: FIRST EVER HOLE-IN-ONE AT NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE:

Hole-in-One Alert! ??

Courtesy of @fabrizanotti. https://t.co/SnUORZVgTl

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 11, 2016