Rory McIlroy has accomplished plenty since launching his professional golf career in 2007, including four Major championships and 122 weeks at No.1 in world golf rankings, but one particular feat eluded him - a hole-in-one at an official PGA Tour event.
That has changed for the Northern Irishman, after he aced the par-three eighth hole during the first round of the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Connecticut.
McIlroy, 34, stepped to the tee box of the 214-yard hole at TPC River Highlands with his five-iron. His ball hit the meat of the green with one small hop and tracked straight toward the pin.
He threw both his hands in the air, before high-fiving his caddie, and playing partners Tom Kim of South Korea and Viktor Hovland of Norway.
According to the PGA Tour, McIlroy had played 3,253 par-three holes over his tour career, before the ace. He did have one at a DP World Tour event at Abu Dhabi in 2015.
"As hole-in-ones go, I've had them in the past, where it has been like an OK shot and you get a little lucky," McIlroy said. "That was the best shot of the day that I hit."
It also made the difference in McIlroy's two-under-par 68, sticking out on a card that included five birdies and five bogeys.
McIlroy followed the ace with a pair of memorable birdies. At the par-four ninth, he blasted out of a fairway bunker to within two feet of the cup.
After hitting a tree with his drive at the par-four 10th, McIlroy hit his second shot to 17 feet and drained the right-to-left birdie putt.
"Hole-in-ones and great shots, and I also made five bogeys, which was the sloppy bit of the day," McIlroy said.
He was less than pleased with that part of his round, after making just eight bogeys through four rounds of the US Open a week ago. Friday (NZ time) was his first round, since finishing second to Wyndham Clark in his latest missed chance at a Major.
Asked what he did with the hole-in-one ball, McIlroy claimed he "threw it away".
"I'm not sentimental, I don't care," he said. "I'd rather have trophies than golf balls."
Reuters
