It might take 11 hours for Rikard Karlberg to fly back from Beijing to his home in Sweden, but his prize for making a hole-in-one in the first round of the Volvo China Open could be at his front door a lot sooner - in 30 minutes to be precise.
After navigating his ball 201-yards into the hole on the 16th tee, Karlberg didn't realise his ball had dropped until he reached the green. The reward couldn't have been more fitting.
The Swede is now the owner of the new Volvo XC90, courtesy of the this week's sponsors, an appropriate prize for a man who hails from the same country as the car’s manufacturers – and whose factory is just half an hour from his house.
It was the first hole-in-one of Karlberg’s career on The European Tour and helped him to a round of three under par, six shots off Hennie Otto who set the early pace in Beijing.
"I have to give my caddie credit because I was not convinced, but he convinced me how I should hit it, so I hit it like that and it ended perfectly," said the 29 year old
“I’ll probably give my caddie two of the tyres as a thank you!”
