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By Greg Hardwig
Naples Daily News
 | | Four finalists in GPS Industries' Fire at The Flag contest where given a shot at $10 million as The Shark looked on. |
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They came from China, England and Canada. But four golfers ranging from age 16 to 59 didn't win $10 million in the Fire at The Flag finals at Tiburón Golf Club on Tuesday.
Carolyn Emo of British Columbia, Canada, 16-year-old Andrew Natividad of Ontario, Canada, 59-year-old Peter Hemsley of Sussex, England, and Weilei Wang of China all had one shot from 179 yards on the 18th hole of the Black Course, with none other than the Shark, Franklin Templeton Shootout tournament host and founder Greg Norman, looking on.
None of the four - all of whom had played a round of golf heading into the 18th - hit the putting surface, using from a 4-iron (Natividad) to a 5-wood (Hemsley).
Three of the four had made holes-in-one as part of a promotion by GPS Industries, which had offered amateurs chances during various contests or pro-ams around the world. Emo, Hemsley and Wang all made holes-in-one to qualify, while Natividad, who is a participant on the Maple Leaf Tour in Canada, had his name chosen out of a drawing. They won $10,000 apiece for qualifying.
Emo went first, her high, arching shot looking like it was headed toward the flag, before coming up 20 yards or so short. Natividad was next. His was short and to the right. Hemsley's also came up short, while Wang's shot skidded along the ground.
"It wasn't enough,'' said Natividad, who did make an ace when he was 12.
"Nowhere near enough,'' said Hemsley, who works for London Gatwick Airport.
"I wasn't feeling a lot of pressure until the round was over, because I knew this was next,'' said Emo, who works for the school district in Coquitlam.
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