Valrico man's hole-in-one carries on family tradition

The odds of Valrico resident Scott Stephens Jr. making a hole-in-one last month were 12,500 to 1, according to U.S. Hole In One insurance.

The chances of Stephens being the second person in his family to win a car because of a hole-in-one, and third to win an automobile, are immeasurable.

Stephens won a 2011 Nissan 370Z convertible after making a hole-in-one while playing in the Zach Tucker Golf Scramble at River Hills Country Club in Valrico. He recently picked up the vehicle from AutoWay Nissan of Brandon, which sponsored the hole.

Previously, Scott Stephens Sr. won a new 1985 Buick Skylark while playing in a golf tournament at Crystal River's Plantation Golf Resort & Spa. For good measure, Scott's mom, Pam, won a new 1970 Chevy Vega during a $1 raffle at Christ The King's Carnival in Tampa.

"I called him immediately," Scott Stephens Jr. said. "As soon as we were finished with the hole I called him and said, 'You're not going to believe it, but another Stephens won a car.' "

The ways father and son won cars are incredibly similar.

Stephens Sr. won his after acing the 195-yard, par-3 15th hole during a tournament to benefit the Crystal River Sharks football organization in 1985. He used a 4-iron to win the $10,040 car.

"We knew it was going to be close, but we didn't see it when we walked up on the green," the 63-year-old father said. "Even the spotter didn't see it go in. Then there was a guy on the fairway saying, 'It went in the hole.' We went to hole and sure enough, it was in there."

Stephens Jr.'s ace occurred on the par-3 4th hole, which is 190 yards from the blue tees. His car is worth more than $40,000. It was the fourth hole-in-one made by Stephens, a 42-year-old principal at HREC Investment Advisors in Tampa, in his amateur golfing career.

"I hit it and it felt good from the moment I hit it," Stephens said. "We were watching it. It took one bounce, it rolled about a foot and then we saw it disappear.

"It was pandemonium. We went crazy because I was playing with some really good friends of mine, which made it even that much better. A lot of excitement, a lot of screaming, yelling and hugging."

Dirk and Sherry Tucker started the tournament in 2006 to raise funds for their son, Zach, who was battling brain cancer. Zach died at age 8, three weeks after the first tournament, because of a glioblastoma multiforme tumor, at which time Dirk and Sherry formed the Giving Hope Through Faith Foundation. The foundation sends $100-125 gift cards and spiritual inspiration for 12 months to families with someone battling cancer in the Tampa Bay area.

They also believe Stephens' fortune last month was more than coincidental.

Zach died on May 9, 2006, and was buried on May 13.

Stephens won his car on May 13, five years after Zach's death.

"When I heard about it, I envisioned God and Zach doing a high five in heaven," Dirk Tucker said.

Stephens Jr. has two children: 11-year-old daughter Hope and 7-year-old son Cole.

If the odds of a family winning three cars are unknown, winning a fourth automobile must be unheard of.

"The best I've done is par," Cole said.

arichardson@tampatrib.com (813) 259-8425