Chapter 5, Problem 1CSD

As we reported at the beginning of this chapter, on June 16, 1989, during the second round of the 1989 U.S. Open, four golfers— Doug Weaver, Mark Wiebe, Jerry Pate, and Nick Price—made holes in one on the sixth hole at Oak Hill in Pittsford, New York. Now that you have studied the material in this chapter, you can determine for yourself the likelihood of such an event.

According to the experts, the odds against a professional golfer making a hole in one are 3708 to 1; in other words, the probability is $\frac{1}{3709}$ that a professional golfer will make a hole in one. One hundred fifty-five golfers participated in the second round.

1. a. Determine the probability that at least 4 of the 155 golfers would get a hole in one on the sixth hole. Discuss your result.
2. b. What assumptions did you make in solving part (a)? Do those assumptions seem reasonable to you? Explain your answer.