Unsurprisingly, many of the most famous moments in PGA Tour history have come when a player has made a hole in one.
Some have proved to make little difference in the context of a tournament, but the large majority of aces immediately secure their place in PGA Tour folklore for a variety of reasons.
With that in mind, here is a look at some of the best hole in ones in PGA Tour history…
Tiger Woods
Perhaps the most famous ace the PGA Tour has seen came at the 1997 Phoenix Open. Tiger Woods sent the crowd around the 16th hole wild some time before the hole became the Coliseum that it is known for today.
Francesco Molinari
If there was a player whose personality does not appear to suit the party atmosphere on that 16th hole in Phoenix, it is potentially Francesco Molinari. The Italian rarely gives much away on the golf course, so it was oddly fitting that he made a hole in one on that stage in 2015. The shot led to the hole being flooded with beer cups.
Rich Beem
While Molinari’s reaction was somewhat subdued, Rich Beem could not hide his glee at making a hole in one at Riviera in 2007. The prize, unsurprisingly at the Nissan Open, was a brand new Nissan Altima, and Beem immediately jumped onto the back of the car behind the tee to celebrate.
Chesson Hadley
Another outstanding reaction to a hole in one came at the 2021 Wyndham Championship where Chesson Hadley made his first ace on the PGA Tour. After watching the ball slowly spin back towards the hole, Hadley sprinted around the tee box with his arms aloft, high-fiving and hugging anybody within reach.
Scottie Scheffler
It would not be a list concerning the best of the best without mentioning Scottie Scheffler. The current world number one marked his PGA Tour debut as a 17-year-old with an ace during the third round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Still, few would have imagined a decade ago what a superstar he would become.
Sam Ryder
Back to Phoenix and the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, and in 2022, Sam Ryder sparked the frenzy in the grandstands. The camera starts shaking, the drinks go flying and Ryder appears almost speechless back on the tee.
Michael Block
Brooks Koepka may have won the 2023 PGA Championship, but Michael Block was arguably the star of that week, with the club professional finishing in a tie for 15th. The highlight of his week came when, playing alongside Rory McIlroy, Block made a slam dunk. He was in no rush to leave the tee as he revelled in the celebrations.
Andrew Magee
The final trip to the Phoenix Open does not look at a shot on the 16th hole, but the PGA Tour’s only ever hole in one on a par four. It was Andrew Magee who made history, with a one on the 17th in 2001. Remarkably, his tee shot deflected off the putter of Tom Byrum in the group ahead and went in.
Viktor Hovland
Whenever anyone thinks of hole in ones at TPC Sawgrass, thoughts immediately turn to the 17th – and with good reason. But Viktor Hovland managed to make an ace on the long eighth hole in 2022. The Norwegian commentary of the shot is definitely worth listening to.
Fred Couples
And of course this list would culminate with a look at a shot on the most famous par three on the PGA Tour, with perhaps the most impressive ace coming from Fred Couples. If there was any shot which would prove to be the antidote to the delicious tempo of Couples’ unhurried swing, it would be the 17th at Sawgrass. And yet, even that hole could not affect him in 1997 when his ball slowly rolled down the slope and into the hole.
He would be at it again two years later in remarkable fashion. After finding the water with his tee shot, Couples managed to save a par with a slam dunk. He would then simply stride off the tee with a wry smile appearing on his face.
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