It’s said hitting a hole-in-one in golf is a once in a lifetime achievement.

Tell that to Lee Eaton.

The Port Gibson native hit his third hole-in-one on June 25 at The Black Bear Golf Club in Delhi, Louisiana.

Eaton was giddy and excited when he saw the ball drop in the cup at the sixth hole, but it’s a feeling that isn’t new to him.

“I didn’t believe it was going in at first,” Eaton said. “You never expect any of those shots to be a hole-in-one when you first hit it. Some of them you think could be close, but it just takes a little bit of luck.”

June 25 was just another day of golf for Eaton. Eaton and his two friends made the 45 minute drive to Delhi, Louisiana to try Black bear Golf Club, which is considered one of the more difficult courses in the area.

The day on the course was going just as planned, but when Eaton arrived at the tee box at the sixth hole, he noticed something different.

“The pin was on the far left edge of the green, which is what I call a sucker pin,” Eaton said with a laugh. “If you go five yards beyond or to the left or in front of it, you’ve lost your ball. It’s like a plateau when you hit the side.”

The ideal landing shot off the tee for Eaton would have been on the center of the green. Eaton wanted to play the hole safe and aim for the center so he could set up for a nice putt.

“I was more worried losing my ball than being near then pin,” Eaton said.

Eaton took the swing off of the tee at six with his six-iron, but he pulled it and ended up being near the pin. The ball took two hops then a short roll in for a hole-in-one.

“I was screaming and hollering,” Eaton said when he hit the shot. “The other guys did a double-take, but I saw it pretty well.”

Eaton has lived in Port Gibson for the last 36 years and retired from his job at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in 2011. In retirement, Eaton tries to go out and golf at least twice a week and improve his game every time.

Eaton shot his first hole-in-one when he was 14 years old in Silver City in 1970. He shot his next hole-in-one at Mosswood Country Club in Port Gibson when he was 42-years-old back in 1998.

Eaton said his first two hole-in-ones he never saw the ball fall in the pin, but his most recent one was the first time he actually saw the ball fall in.

“It’s funny how so spread out the shots have been from each other,” Eaton said. “It felt like it would never happen again.”

If Eaton goes out and plays golf again, he’ll have the same approach as always. He enjoys retirement and playing the game he’s played his whole life.

“You never go out and try to hit a hole-in-one when you’re out there,” Eaton said. “It happens when you least expect it. I’ve just been lucky enough to hit three of them.”