WATCH: Euro pro gets one of the luckiest breaks of the year in South Africa

One European Tour pro is thanking his lucky…wind socks today in South Africa after receiving one of the luckiest breaks of the year in the second round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Belgian pro Thomas Detry was fighting for the lead on Friday when he ran into some major trouble at the par-4 17th hole at Gary Player Country Club. Detry knocked his first drive on the 478-yard hole way off line and into a water hazard running down the left side.

The 26-year-old was then forced to tee up a new ball and give it another go with his trusty driver. But his pitiful first shot seemed to have shaken him, because drive No. 2 quickly started sailing toward the same hazard immediately after impact.

That’s when fortune decided to intercede and help the faltering golfer avoid a truly disastrous score on the hole.

Just when Detry’s ball was about to fly over the hazard line and splash down into the water, it caught the very top of a flagpole situated at the water’s edge that held a wind sock. The pole halted the ball’s momentum, and deflected it harmlessly into the rough, leaving it safe and dry, though maybe a little banged up.

Check out the unlikely break below.

The fortunate turn of fate couldn’t have come at a better time for Detry. He still made a double-bogey 6 on the hole, but it could have been much, much worse. Despite following that up with a bogey on the final hole, Detry was able to finish with a 71, leaving him in sole possession of third place at seven under, four behind leader Zander Lombard.

If Detry is able to come from behind over the next two rounds and win the tournament, he might want to take that flagpole and buy himself a nice, big display case with his winner’s check and give it a proper place of honor in his home.

To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.