In fact, Mr Day went to far as to ''tell everyone I was going to win this car''.
He had no particular reason to be so confident: Mr Day had a 25.5 handicap, had been playing for only a couple of years and regularly only since February. He had never shot a hole-in-one before.
But when he lined up with a four-iron on the Chisholm Links' 148m par-three 14th hole, the golfing gods shone and his swing was straight and true.
Mr Day said the ball landed before the green, bounced and rolled into what was a double-sized hole specially installed for the fundraiser.
He responded with some understandable exuberance.
''I was going nuts,'' he said. ''I don't think it's sunk in yet I've won this car.''
The event was a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Otago and the Dunedin Technical football club, and was run by NZ Large Cup Golf. Kia provided a $41,990 Sportage for anyone who got a hole-in-one.
NZ Large Cup Golf's Laurie Goodson said he had run about 10 such events each year for the past four years, and yesterday's event was the first time a hole-in-one had been achieved.
The golf was followed by an auction.
Mr Goodson declined to say how much had been raised, saying he wanted to keep it confidential.
