SHANGHAI, Jul 17, 2008 (SinoCast via COMTEX) — GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating — Shanghai General Motors Co., Ltd., a venture of General Motor Corp. (NYSE: GM), launched Buick LaCROSSE hybrid version on July 15, 2008.

The new car model, known as LaCROSSE 2.4L Eco-Hybrid, is sold at CNY 269,900 with a 15% fuel saving and a 15% reduction of emission compared with LaCROSSE 2.4L luxury navigation edition, which is now sold at about CNY 220,000.

The hybrid car is available at 360 Buick 4S stores over the country and 5,000 such cars are expected to be sold this year. It is the first hybrid version in the medium-and high-grade sedan market in the country, meaning to compete with Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which are the top two models in the market.

Before Shanghai General Motors, Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. and Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company Limited had launched their hybrid products, Toyota 1.5L Prius sold at CNY 259,800 to CNY 279,800 and Honda 1.3L Civic hybrid at CNY 269,800.

A hole-in-one on the golf course happens once — maybe twice — in the amateur golfer’s life. Sinking an ace to win a new car is even rarer.

But two aces — same hole, same course, same day — and each for a free car?

Impossible, you might say. Well, almost.

It happened this summer at Sun City Carolina Lakes golf course in Indian Land.

Indian Land native Randy Potts and Bob Newmarker of Hilton Head both made hole-in-one shots last month during a membership golf tournament at the course.

Both aces happened on the par-3, 16th green, where tournament sponsor Griffin Pontiac-Buick-GMC of Rock Hill was giving away free Buick Lacrosse sedans to anyone who guided a golf ball 174 yards — past water and sand traps — to the cup in one stroke.

“Unbelievable,” Eddie Pittman, Griffin sales manager, said Tuesday when he handed over the keys to the two golfers. “In the more than 25 years we’ve been … sponsoring golf tournaments, we only had to give away one car. Then it happens twice in one day.”

Potts, a 75-year-old retired teacher and coach at Indian Land High School more than 30 years ago before launching an insurance sales career, was the first golfer to make the hole-in-one.

“I was mad because I three-putted the hole before, so I wasn’t even thinking about the car,” he said Tuesday, surrounded by balloons and his new, $25,000 navy blue Buick. “I just hit it as hard as I could. Didn’t want to get beat.”

Potts, who sold his Indian Land farm and moved to Clemson a few weeks ago, said he hit the ball over the hole with a Taylor Made 7-wood. But he couldn’t see it after the ball rolled across the green. When he and his playing partner approached the green, Potts’ number 2 Nike ball was resting in the cup.

News of the hole-in-one spread quickly around the course, so when Newmarker, 60, reached the 16th tee moments later and repeated the feat, he assumed only one car would be awarded.

“I thought for once in my life what I wanted to happen on the golf course actually happened, and I’m not even going to win the car,” the retired information technology expert said.

But the fine print of the contest specified any hole-in-one would win a car — not just the first one.

“The insurance company probably wasn’t too happy,” quipped Pittman, the sales manager. Griffin carries insurance to cover the cost of the cars.

Both winners said they’re having a hard time deciding what to do with their fully-loaded Buicks.

“I just bought a brand-new car in January,” Newmarker said.

He wants to keep the Dodge van he bought, so he might give the new Lacrosse to his wife, Beth.

Potts said he doesn’t want to part with his pickup, and his wife has a Lexus. He’s still deciding whether to keep or sell the vehicle.

“I’m just glad the ball went in the hole,” Potts said. “I would have missed the putt.”

O’Daniel is a reporter for The (Rock Hill) Herald, a McClatchy newspaper.