Bert Cody Piggott Jr., M.D.
(May 3, 2013)–For three consecutive days this past fall during the Myrtle Beach Winter Golf Invitational Tournament (associated with the United States African American Golf Association) three golfers made history, by shooting a Hole-In-One on the same hole (#3).
It happened on November 30, 2012 at the Barefoot Resort & Golf in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina—on the Norman Course, when Dr. Bert Cody Piggott, Jr., a Board-Certified Radiologist based in Greensboro (N.C.) hit his first-ever Hole-In-One!
“It was a 178 yard, par 3, using a Taylor Made 6 iron. My ball was a Bridgestone BR 330-RX,” says Dr. Piggott. But this was only the beginning, as two more golfers (not associated with the tournament) also made Aces on the course.
There was Sly Nicholson, a mid-level handicapper who knocked his ball in first, on Thursday, November 29 with his 11 wood from 150 yards. And Charlie Forman, who accomplished this feat on Saturday, December 1 with a pitching wedge in hand. The Norman Course is a Par 72, approximately 7,200 yards long and was designed with Norman’s philosophy to bring into play the”bump and run” shots around the greens. This will give the player the option to play a number of different shots.
“We now refer to ourselves as The Three Aces,” says Dr. Piggott, a 54-years young, married, father of two daughters: Cierra Monet, who attends Brody Medical School at East Carolina University in Greenville and Jaslyn Bria, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Dr. Piggott is a member of The American College of Radiology, a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and its Rocky Mount (NC) Alumni Chapter. His lovely wife, Bessie of 28-years is his strongest supporter and text him that eventful day to “Get a hole in one!”
Photo (L-R): “The Three Aces” Sly Nicholson, Bert Cody Piggott Jr., M.D. and Charlie Forman at Hole # 3, Norman Course, Barefoot Resort & Golf in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Most golfers are never able to obtain the elusive Hole-In-One and depending upon where your sources gathered, the general odds for an amateur to make one are roughly 1 in 12,000.
According to Ripley’s the feat is a first and the magical occurrence has landed the trio into the flanks of history with an exhibit being created at the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium in Myrtle Beach.
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The Norman course presents a stunning challenge for any golfer with its open green complexes and fairways running up to the sand. The site has luscious natural vegetation that beautifully frames each hole. The course resembles one found in the deserts of the Southwest—without the desert.
But, it’s tricky. Golfers will notice while playing the course that one hole has fairways that flow into the native areas surrounding the layout, while another hole features fairway and a partial rough transitioning into the native areas. This is what each of the Three Aces had to contend with, and bearing in mind, a third distinction of the course is the formal rough that encompasses the entire golf hole.
While there are no angular or artificial lines in the shape of the course, several bunkers have sloping white faces (similar to a MacKenzie style golf course) with intermittent sod wall bunkering at strategic locations throughout the course. Now, that’s something to consider!
On the course Dr. Piggott’s forte is DRIVING, thus his nickname: Bert “Long Knocka” Piggott. The Roanoke Rapids (NC) resident also enjoys music and photography. In fact, he’s a professional, smooth Jazz Saxophonist and has released 4 CDs (available for download at CD baby.com). By night he performs under the moniker ‘The Musician Physician.’
“…it’s not merely my stage name; it is my lifestyle,” admits the good doctor. “My musical flow comes from ABOVE; I have had no formal music training and consider myself to be GOD-taught,” says Dr. Piggott who has opened onstage for such greats as Boney James, Marion Meadows, Pieces of a Dream and performed at a post-show Meet & Greet reception for jazz saxophonist Kim Waters.
Check out his newest musical piece, Dat Ain’t Bert! at Onstage.com
