A hole-in-one is a rare occurrence for any golfer, with many going entire careers without making an ace.
The odds of an amateur making a hole-in-one on a par three are roughly 12500/1 and 2500/1 for professionals. Clearly, there’s an element of luck involved.
For example, Bryson DeChambeau has only had one hole-in-one, whereas Phil Mickelson has reportedly made 47. Other famous PGA Tour holes-in-one include Scottie Scheffler, aged 17, at the HP Byron Nelson and Michael Block at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Despite the odds, fans often witness aces on shorter holes, but only a handful of people can say they’ve seen a hole-in-one on a par-four on the PGA Tour. The chances of an ace on a par four are 6,000,000/1, and only one has ever occurred on the PGA Tour.
Andrew Magee: The only player to make a hole-in-one on a par-four
January 25, 2001, saw, quite literally, the unlikeliest scenario in golf play out. During the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Andrew Magee bombed a drive down the 332-yard 17th, unaware of the carnage which would then take place.
An adrenaline-filled Magee saw his ball fly toward the putting surfaces where the group in front were still finishing the hole.
Magee’s ball narrowly missed Steve Pate before cannoning into Tom Byrum’s putter and straight into the hole, making PGA Tour history and arguably the craziest hole-in-one of all time.
Unfortunately, a video of the shot doesn’t exist, so those who don’t believe the story can remain sceptical.
Who is Andrew Magee? The PGA Tour history-maker
Magee was born on May 22 1962, and played for more than 20 years on the PGA Tour. The American attended the University of Oklahoma, where he became a distinguished member of the golf team.
Magee would eventually turn professional in 1984 before joining the PGA Tour in 1985. The now 62-year-old’s first PGA Tour win came in 1988 at the Pensacola Open. He would go on to win three more events and six professional events overall.
Furthermore, Magee would also finish in the top ten at the 1991 Masters and 1992 Open Championship. Speaking about the whacky hole-in-one, he admitted he had no idea about the hole-in-one until he reached the green.
“I really didn’t know until I got 100 yards from the green,” said Magee. “The crowd is still cheering and clapping, and my dad is raising his arms, and the Tour official is driving the cart kind of alongside me, and he goes, ‘Yep, it counts.’ I said, ‘Even if I hit somebody? It’s not a penalty?’ He goes, ‘No, if you hit your own equipment, it is, but this is a 1. It’s recorded.'”
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