Ryan Fox from New Zealand has joined the pool of extraordinary athletes by hitting the rare hole.
Fox has been quiet at the beginning of the TPC Sawgrass season. However, he had gone through a one-over by opening six holes for his first round at the fifth major, eventually followed by an eagle with an ace at the iconic par-three 17th hole of the Stadium Course.
He achieved his first-ever hole-in-one on the PGA Tour and also became the first golfer to be recognized for having an impeccable tee shot for this year’s competition.
“It’s such an iconic hole, and to have that many people there to witness it is pretty cool…You get up there and most of the crowd probably either wants you to make a one or hit it in the water, so I’m glad to be on the right side of it in that respect,” Fox stated.
Back-to-back eagles in any two holes
More so, Fox became the very first player who achieved back-to-back eagles on any two holes in the tournament. He made a remarkable approach at the par-five 16th hole that was just 180 yards within the feet of the cup.
In recent competitions, only three from over 7,400 tee shots between 2000 and 2016, and none between 2003 and 2025 have been accomplished. Currently, there have been eight aces in the hole across the previous nine editions of the event.
Golfers like Scottie Scheffler made a five-stroke triumph last year. Hayden Buckley, Aaron Rai, and Alex Smalley also recorded tying three aces in the previous years.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: CNN
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