Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has quickly established himself as one of the premier college football coaches in the nation. However, when it comes to golf, his skills aren’t quite on the same level. This disparity recently led to a humorous exchange with none other than golf legend Tiger Woods, centered around the legitimacy of Lanning’s first career hole-in-one.
The story, reported by Brett McMurphy of Action Network, sheds light on Lanning’s golf game and a friendly “beef” with Tiger Woods over whether his hole-in-one should be considered official. Lanning, who carries a 16.7 handicap, shared the story of his ace on the 61-yard seventh hole at The Hay, a nine-hole par-3 course at Pebble Beach.
While the achievement of a hole-in-one is a dream for many golfers, some might argue that making it on a par-3 course doesn’t carry the same weight as doing so on a full-length course. Lanning, however, was proud of his accomplishment and sought validation from someone who knows a thing or two about golf—Tiger Woods.
The connection between Lanning and Woods comes through Oregon’s golf coach, Casey Martin, who was a teammate of Woods at Stanford University and remains on friendly terms with him. Martin suggested that Lanning reach out to Woods for a ruling on whether his hole-in-one should count as official.
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Woods, known for his sharp wit as much as his golf prowess, gave a response that was both supportive and subtly playful. “Yes, it counts,” Woods told Lanning, before adding with a bit of humor, “I also made my first hole-in-one on a Par 3 course—when I was 8.”
Woods’ response, while technically backing Lanning’s claim, also delivered a playful jab by highlighting that he achieved a similar feat at a much younger age. It was a classic Tiger Woods move, blending encouragement with a touch of humility, subtly reminding Lanning of the difference in their golf experiences.
Despite the light-hearted ribbing, Lanning remains an avid golf fan. In fact, he was present at The Masters in 2019, the same year Woods won his historic 15th major championship. Whether or not Lanning’s presence was a lucky charm for Woods that year is up for debate, but it certainly adds another layer to their amusing interaction.
As for Lanning’s standing among college football coaches in terms of golfing ability, his 16.7 handicap didn’t quite make the cut for the top 10 in McMurphy’s rankings. Leading the pack is UAB head coach and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who boasts an impressive 0.1 handicap, the best of any coach on the list.
Auburn’s Hugh Freeze follows with a 4.6 handicap, and Toledo’s Jason Candle rounds out the top three with a 5.6 handicap.
While Dan Lanning may not be topping the charts in golf, his playful exchange with Tiger Woods shows he’s got a good sense of humor about it. And as he continues to build his legacy on the football field, he’ll always have that hole-in-one—official or not—in his back pocket.
