Insurers Off The Hook for West Virginia Hole-in-One Tournament Payouts

A federal appeals court says Gov. Jim Justice’s charity is stuck with almost $200,000 in payouts made to fans at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic tournament after two golfers aced the 18th hole at his resort in southern West Virginia.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals panel says Old White Charities Inc. has no trial case since the holes-in-one were made on a 137-yard hole and its insurance policy “clearly” only covered for holes at least 170 yards long.

The appeals court, agreeing with insurers and a lower court judge, has rejected the charity’s claims of breach of contract, bad faith, negligence and fraud.

Many fans got $100 for the first ace and $500 for the second when George McNeill and later Justin Thomas sunk their drives from the tee.