Court: Charity stuck with fan payouts after holes-in-one

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Most golfers like short par 3s, but West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice probably wishes No. 18 at the Greenbrier Classic in 2015 was a little longer — 33 yards longer to be exact.

In 2015, Justice's charity promised fans at the 18th hole $100 for the first hole-in-one and $500 for the second in 2015. Professionals George McNeill and Justin Thomas aced the 137-yard hole, forcing the charity to give almost $200,000 to fans around the green.

The charity took out an insurance policy on the payouts, but a federal appeals court says the policy only covered holes at least 170 yards long.

Old White Charities Inc. accused the insurer of breach of contract for not covering the payout, but the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that claim.