Jean Purkiss achieved her dream of hitting a hole-in-one – and celebrated with a cup of hot chocolate.

The 78-year-old 26-handicapper aced the par-3 119-yard 16th in a ladies’ medal at Littlestone Warren, playing alongside Linda Coleman and Gill Wyatt and admitted the feat was still sinking in 24 hours later.

She is the third lady member at the club to achieve a hole-in-one in the past month. Janice Wickens and Linda Ellse did it in the space of a week.

Jean said: “I am finding it difficult to believe. I heard the other two ladies had done it and said then I didn’t ever think I would get one.”

Describing the moment, she added: “I hit a seven-wood to use more club and because at my age, the ball doesn’t go as far.

There is a dip in the fairway and I didn’t actually see it go in.

“We walked down, the other ladies looked all over one side of the green and I went to see if it had gone through. Then one of the them said ‘have you looked in the hole?’ and there it was.”

Jean took up the sport at the age of 60 to enable her to play with her husband, James. He died two years ago but in his playing career also hit a hole-in-one – back in April, 2000.She added:

"I play with my son Mark and son-in-law Robert and hope to play for as long as I can. It is the highlight of my week.”

Jean broke off from catching up with the latest American PGA event on television, the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, with Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose among her two favourite players.

She said: “I am patriotic but also like watching people who play with a bit of style."