Patrick Cantlay is no stranger to success at Harbour Town Golf Links.
Last year, he lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth. He came into this year’s tournament in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, as one of the favorites, and he’s again near the top of the leaderboard, in large part thanks to his tee shot on the par-3 seventh hole.
Cantlay hit 6-iron to the middle of the green and it released toward the hole located near the back. The ball rolled and rolled and rolled and then dropped. Boom. It was Cantlay’s third ace of his PGA Tour career, this one coming in the second round of the RBC Heritage. It moved him to 8 under.
J.T. Poston hit a great shot during his Tuesday practice round on the 17th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
His caddie, Aaron Flener, posted video on Twitter showing Poston’s ball in the hole on the tough par-3 down the closing stretch of the host site for the RBC Heritage.
“Hey, J.T., where’s your ball?” Flener asked his player. Poston proceeds to point at the hole, and Flener turns the camera to show the ball in the cup.
Sweet, an ace in a practice round.
Not so fast.
Flener asked, “What shot was that from the tee?” Poston responded, “My second one.” The duo began laughing before the video cuts off.
The chances of an average player making a hole-in-one are 12,500 to 1, according to the PGA of America – it’s not quite as large a surprise for a Tour pro. Unfortunately for Poston, this one doesn’t really count.
Bohyun Park will be tied to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur forever.
Bohyun Park made history Thursday. Her name will forever be tied to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur thanks to her tee shot on the par-3 eighth hole.
Park, the 20-year-old from Farmers Branch, Texas, stepped to the tee at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Georgia, at 1 over par for the tournament. The 142-yard hole goes over a creek and had a front pin location. The sophomore at Texas hit her tee shot, and the ball landed short of the hole and bounced a couple times before rolling into the left side of a cup.
Boom, an ace. A historic hole-in-one, as Park hit the first ace in the history of the ANWA.
🚨 ACE 🚨@TexasWGolf's Bohyun Park claims the first Augusta National Women's Amateur hole-in-one on No.8 🤯
— Augusta National Women's Amateur (@anwagolf) March 30, 2023
It moved her to 1 under for the tournament and into the top 10 on the leaderboard.
The top 30 players and ties make the 36-hole cut and will play at Augusta National Golf Club in the final round on Saturday. All 72 players in the field will play in a practice round Friday at Augusta National.
Ryan Brehm was cruising when he stepped to the 17th tee at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course on Thursday.
He was 3 under thru 16 holes at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, when he sent his tee shot on the par-3, 196-yard hole.
The shot floated through the air before landing short of the pin. Brehm was asking it to carry, and it did. It took one big hop before settling and rolling out and into the cup.
Brehm quickly turned around and jumped up and down while handing out high-fives to his fellow competitors and caddies in his group.
Brehm won the Puerto Rico Open last year, and outside of a T-14 at the Honda Classic three weeks ago, he has missed the cut seven of his eight past starts.
However, Brehm sits on top after the morning wave during the first round, shooting 5-under 66. He’s tied with Stephan Jaegar. Jordan Spieth and Lucas Glover each shot 4-under 67.
Twelve holes-in-one have been made on the famed 17th at TPC Sawgrass dating back to 1991.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Aces are wild at the par-3 17th at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass this week.
On Sunday, Alex Smalley became the latest to make a hole-in-one at the famed island green. The 26-year-old Duke product had made a double-bogey seven thanks to a water ball at the par-5 16th.
“I figured I might as well just go right at it,” Smalley said.
He stepped up at the 133-yard par 3 with a sand wedge and delivered another highlight reel moment.
“I guess it landed right on the downslope and just went in,” he said.
Smalley, who recorded his fourth career hole in one, joined Hayden Buckley, who started the fireworks early on Thursday morning in the first round, and Aaron Rai, who made his ace on Saturday during the third round.
Smalley’s ace in the final round is the 12th at the hole since Brian Claar in 1991, and first in the final round since Fred Couples in 1997.
After he picked his ball out of the hole, he motioned as if he intended to toss the ball into the water.
“My caddie told me it would be pretty funny if I kind of fake threw it in the water, so I went ahead and listened to him,” Smalley said. “There was no way I was teeing off on 18 with that ball, either. It’s in my bag somewhere.”
Woke up this morning and still couldn’t believe that this happened! Definitely a memory for a lifetime. Golf. What a crazy game! https://t.co/KlLAjpwfHF
An ace on the par-3 17th hole at the famous island green. This time, it was Aaron Rai on Saturday during the third round of the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
On Thursday, Hayden Buckley hit one. Rai did it in similar fashion, hitting his shot about 15 feet past the front left pin before it spun back and into the hole.
“Felt at a very good number with my gap wedge,” Rai said. “Hit it great, looked great in the air and very pleased to see it go in. That was an incredible moment.”
It’s the first time in Players history there has been two holes-in-one at the 17th hole in the same year. It’s the third one in the past two years, with Shane Lowry making one in a similar location during the third round last year.
On Saturday, the par-3 17th was playing 122 yards. Here’s a look at everyone who has hit a hole-in-one on the 17th in Players history.
2023: Hayden Buckley, 1st round; Aaron Rai, 3rd round 2022:Â Shane Lowry, 3rd round 2019:Â Ryan Moore, 1st round 2017:Â Sergio Garcia, 1st round 2016:Â Willy Wilcox, 2nd round 2002:Â Miguel Angel Jimenez, 1st round 2000:Â Paul Azinger, 3rd round 1999:Â Joey Sindelar, 1st round 1997:Â Fred Couples, final round 1991:Â Brian Claar, 3rd round
The ace put Rai to 6 under thru 17 holes. He also birdied the par-4 18th hole after a great approach shot to finish at 7-under 65 and 9 under for the tournament.
“It was a little bit of a blur,” Rai said. “I saw it go in, and then I looked to the left to almost see, is it real and I saw almost the crowd’s hands in the air.
“In the second after that, I looked to the right towards my caddie and he came running at me. So it happened very fast, but it feels very vivid now that I’m even talking about it and remembering some of those images. So I couldn’t quite believe that it happened, but very, very special. Very special. Something I’ll always remember.”
Buckley was the first in Players history to go ace-birdie on 17 and 18. Rai became the second, but he was the first to finish birdie-ace-birdie.
Just 10 players have made a hole-in-one on the iconic par 3 since 1991.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Drinks are on Hayden Buckley on Thursday.
The 27-year-old pro aced the iconic par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass and then celebrated with gusto.
“I had a little feeling something like that might happen this week,” said Buckley, who made his second hole-in-one on the PGA Tour and fifth of his life. “I don’t know, I’ve been hitting it well, but it’s always nice to see it happen on that hole, too.”
Starting on the back nine and playing in just the second group of the day to step to the water-guarded par 3 in the opening round of the 2023 Players Championship, Buckley chose a pitching wedge with just 125 yards to the front-hole location. His shot landed just right of the hole, bounced once and then spun back into the cup.
“I’m so sorry for my squeak. Holy cow,” said Christina Kim on PGA Tour Live. “Oh, I want to see that again.”
Buckley threw his hat in the air, pumped his fists, screamed, “C’mon!” and tossed his club as he slapped hands with pros Adam Long and Taylor Montgomery.
It was a much more animated reaction compared to when Buckley made an ace in Las Vegas last year as a rookie.
“It was early in the morning, nobody was really out there,” he said. “I guess I had to have a little bit more of a reaction this time. I had friends and my wife in the crowd, so I had to entertain them a little bit.”
Buckley was cruising along at 5 under through his first 11 holes when the wheels came off and he signed for 1-over 73. But an ace is an ace and he said he’d celebrated later.
“I need a lot of water, but maybe like a Maker’s and Sprite I think is what I’ll have,” he said. “I guess I’m buying a lot of people drinks, too, so that’s probably the only downside. Drinks on me, I guess.”
One year after Shane Lowry aced the hole in the third round, Buckley became the 10th player to do so since 1991:
2023:Â Hayden Buckley, 1st round 2022: Shane Lowry, 3rd round 2019:Â Ryan Moore, 1st round 2017: Sergio Garcia, 1st round 2016: Willy Wilcox, 2nd round 2002: Miguel Angel Jimenez, 1st round 2000: Paul Azinger, 3rd round 1999: Joey Sindelar, 1st round 1997: Fred Couples, final round 1991: Brian Claar, 3rd round
Buckley, a former walk-on at Missouri, finished second at the Sony Open at Hawaii, his best career finish on the PGA Tour, but entered the Players having missed his last three cuts.
It wasn’t the famed 16th hole but an ace is an ace and Rickie Fowler now has one at the WM Phoenix Open.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It wasn’t the famed 16th hole but an ace is an ace and Rickie Fowler now has one at the WM Phoenix Open.
Fowler, who last won on the PGA Tour at the 2019 Phoenix Open, was 9 under through six holes when he arrived at the long par-3 7th hole.
Measuring 216 yards, Fowler dialed in his 6-iron to perfection. It’s the first ace at the tournament this year. It’s his third on the PGA Tour.
“I’ve been good mates with Rickie for a long time. We came out pretty much the same year. I understand what he’s going through. I think he understands what I’m going through as well. So it’s nice to see him playing some really good golf,” said playing partner Jason Day. “Very rarely do you see a hole-in-one as well. It was nice to be able to see him hole out because obviously when he holes out they’re going to go even crazier.”
It’s the fifth ace in tournament history at the 7th hole and first one there since Scott Piercy accomplished the feat in the second round in 2020 from 194 yards.
RICKIE FOWLER HOLE-IN-ONE ON THE 7TH AT THE @WMPHOENIXOPEN! 🔥
There has been a hole-in-one during the tournament in six of the last nine years.
Golf stats guru Justin Ray also reports it’s the 14th career eagle at TPC Scottsdale for Fowler.
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The circled 1 on the scorecard took Fowler to 11 under at the time, four back of leader Scottie Scheffler.
“It was insane, just seeing that,” said fan Jamal Williamson, 23, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, “because everybody who was hitting, at first, they were getting some solid swings. But once that one went off, everybody was going crazy over here. That was great to see, and I got it on video. It’s my first time ever out here at a golf tournament, so to videotape a hole-in-one was insane. Rickie, at that?”
Greg Spurlock, 61, from Riverside, California, also witnessed the shot.
“That’s the first hole-in-one I’ve seen live and I’ve played golf forever,” Spurlock said. “That was kind of cool.”
Take another look – and listen – from PGA Tour radio:
Not too shabby to make your first ace on a par 4, which measured 285 yards on the scorecard.
After more than 25 years in the golf industry and chasing top-100 courses around the globe with a missionary’s zeal, Greg Nathan finally made his first hole-in-one on Tuesday.
The 15-year veteran with the National Golf Foundation did it in dramatic fashion, acing the par-4 fifth hole of the Whiskey routing at Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown, Georgia.
Not too shabby to make your first ace on a par 4, which measured 285 yards on the scorecard. (Yardages were measured for the event, but a caddie thought it was closer to 260 yards. “It’s going to get longer and longer as the years go on,” Nathan cracked.)
Nathan played in the first group of the day and word spread among competitors in the Bernard Darwin Matches, a two-day team event hosted by course designer Gil Hanse. When the actor Bill Murray, who played in the event and was in the club’s dining room after the round, caught wind of Nathan’s achievement, he had an all-time response: he slapped Nathan across the face.
Greg Nathan of NGF and Billy Murray at Ohoopee Match Club. (Courtesy Greg Nathan)
Nathan, the self-proclaimed Mayor of Crazy Town, is chief business officer for the NGF. He thought his Murray highlight came before the round as he was walking past the clubhouse to the first tee.
“You can actually see into a window of the gym and Bill Murray is in there. He sees us and waves at us,” Nathan recalled. “The guys I was with were like that’s a memorable moment.”
Nathan celebrated by a fire pit after his round and before leaving he went back into the clubhouse, where Murray was engrossed in conversation with members of No Laying Up. Just as Murray got up from where he was sitting, someone congratulated Nathan on his ace. Murray spun around and said, “You? You’re the one. You made the hole-in-one?”
Nathan shook his head in the affirmative. That’s when Murray slapped him across the face with his right hand.
“It wasn’t like Will Smith (slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards) where he leaned his weight into it but there was a loud smack,” Nathan said.
Nathan smiled – “that’s memorable,” he thought to himself – and asked Murray to pose for a picture.
The first day of the event had been played on the Championship Course routing. The Whiskey routing is a separate layout that incorporates five completely different holes (dubbed A, B, C, D and E) and variations of 13 from the Championship course. (No. 5 on the Whiskey routing plays as No. 9 on the Championship routing.)
An aerial shot at No.5 at Ohoopee Match Club, where the NGF’s Greg Nathan made an ace on December 13, 2022.
With the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain” playing on his caddie’s speaker, Nathan took aim at the drivable par 4, but wasn’t even sure if he could clear the pot bunker guarding the path to the green.
His blast just made it over — “I was holding my breath that it wouldn’t dunk in there on the fly,” he said — and bounded to the green and climbed up its right slope.
Nathan remembers thinking, “Awesome, I drove the green at a par 4.” But the caddies in his group knew better. They knew the contours of the green and figured it had a chance of going in and began chirping. As the ball slowly descended downhill to the left it momentarily went out of view but when it re-appeared, Nathan could see it tracking to the hole and go straight in like a putt.
His opponent in their match had the best line: “I made birdie and lost the hole by two shots,” he said.
Tiger Woods’ hole-in-one ball from his professional debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1996 sold this past weekend.
Tiger Woods’ hole-in-one ball from his professional debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1996 sold for $186,000 during Heritage Auctions’ fall sports event this past weekend.
That should make Bob Gustin a happy man.
The Nekoosa, Wisconsin, resident came up with the ball when Woods tossed it into the crowd after his big shot on the 14th hole at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.
He also got Woods to autograph the ball that day with the help of tournament director Tom Strong.
“Everyone knew that was a special piece,” Heritage sports consignment director Chris Nerat said. “How do you put a value on something like that?
“It’s such a unique piece. He only had three hole-in-ones during his PGA career, and this was the first one in his pro debut. It’s a museum-caliber piece that is one of those once-in-a-generation. It’s never happened in the auction world that a golf ball has sold for that price. It was a special piece and got a special price, and we were very happy with the result.”
