AUBURN — Golf it’s a sport where you actually can celebrate what happens in practice.

You don’t celebrate a goal in field hockey, ice hockey, soccer or lacrosse during practice. But golf is different. You are still playing the course, and the rules of golf are the same whether in practice or in competition.

Two-and-a-half weeks ago, Edward Little’s No. 1 golfer Austin Cox had the chance to celebrate. While most of his teammates were on the front nine at Prospect Hill — the Red Eddies home course — Cox and Kyle Romero played the more challenging back nine.

At the downhill, 115-yard 15th hole, the lone par-3 on the back, Cox saw his ball disappear as it went into the bowl where the green sits. Cox and Romero didn’t know where the ball ended up.

After searching for a bit, Cox finally went to the hole.

“I looked over at my friend and I look down, and said, ‘Kyle, check this out,'” Cox said. “I grabbed the flag and the ball popped out.”

Both started laughing.

Austin said he didn’t feel he hit the ball particular well for his first career hole-in-one. His playing partner disagreed.

“Oh yeah, definitely, because it’s like kind of a slope going down the hill,” Romero said. “He hit to a little bit before the slope, it rolled down right into the hole.”

They texted coach Chris Merrill, who was on the front nine with the rest of the golfers. They raced over to the back nine to check it out. Merrill said both were excited.

Cox is in his second season as the Red Eddies’ No. 1 golfer, moving up the ranks quickly on the depth chart after his sophomore season.

“Sophomore year, we had five seniors on the team and I was playing as the sixth (golfer in matches),” Cox said. “I knew once they all left, I was going to have to step up and take the number one spot.”

Merrill said Cox earned the most points for the team as a junior last season

He has been playing golf since he was six or seven. His dad is an avid golfer, and he really became interested in the game when he got into high school.

At first he wasn’t sure if he was going to play for the high school team, or he’d continue playing it only as recreational sport. He played football in middle school, but he broke his hand.

He figured playing golf in the fall wouldn’t get him injured for the basketball and baseball seasons.

Heading into last year’s KVAC qualifier, Cox was preparing for the basketball season when he broke his ankle playing fall basketball.

“It was definitely heartbreaking,” Cox said. “I am not doing fall basketball until golf is over this year.”

Merrill believes Cox wants to make his senior season count.

“I am sure he’s looking forward being able to trying help the team out this year and qualify for individuals for himself,” Merill said. “We have a team that can definitely qualify for the states.”

For the Red Eddies to qualify for states this season, they know Cox sets the pace for the rest of the team.

“He’s a very solid player,” Merrill said. “He strikes the ball very well and he hit his mid-irons great. He has all the confidence in the world in himself. He plays very well every day, and he comes out and practices like he plays. He takes each shot in practice and tries to get better with it for matches.”

When Merrill is around the course checking in on the other five golfers competing, the first question that always comes up is, ‘How Austin is doing?’ That motivates the others to up their game during the matches.

“It makes us all feel good when Austin is doing well,” Romero said. “It gives hope that we will do well too.”

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