Father Brian McKenna says divinity has nothing to do with his affinity for holes-in-one. Maybe it’s just his Irish luck.

The 70-year-old priest at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bend recently shot his second hole-in-one in two years at River’s Edge. It was his sixth career ace.

Last Thursday’s hole-in-one occurred on No. 14, where the Irish-born priest used a 6-iron on the 150-yard drive.

”The key is you really got to go with the flag,” said McKenna, who has been playing golf since 1967. ”You have to be really aggressive on the par 3. The key is being committed to the shot.”

He continued: ”You can be happy to get on the green or try to fly at the flag itself. It’s committing to the shot. A lot of people just hit a shot to the green but not go for it.”

And this is a golfer who knows something about commitment.

McKenna said he knew he had sunk his shot right away.

”It (No. 14) is elevated so I could see the hole,” he said.

McKenna said the downhill shot is well-bunkered and can be ”pretty tight at times.”

”It’s not a particularly easy shot but there isn’t great length to it,” he added.

He noted that it was well within range for a hole-in-one using a 6-iron.

McKenna’s fifth career hole-in-one was two years ago on June 26 at River’s Edge No. 4 hole. That time, McKenna used a 7-iron on the 134-yard hole.

”It (No. 4) is a flat green,” said McKenna. ”You have a better chance on the fourth than the 14th hole.”

McKenna said he enjoys playing golf for the exercise. ”(At River’s Edge), it’s like climbing the butte. It gives you a workout.”

”I hope to shoot my age sometime,” said the priest, who has been serving at St. Francis on and off since 1966.

McKenna said two of his six aces were at Bend Golf and Country Club.

”The No. 7 is the perfect number scriptually,” he said. ”So we’re working toward the seventh.”