Drinks are on them! It’s a tradition for anyone who scores an ace to treat the field to food and beverages. That is the reason Charlie Woods hilariously stated “I am broke”, after his 4th hole effort in the 2024 PNC Championship. Nonetheless, all you want is to get embraced by your friends and family after the amazing feat. While many would replace that with getting acknowledged by Tiger Woods like his son at the father-son tournament, the sentiment is still the same.
By the end of the 1st week in February, the PGA Tour has already seen 5 more aces. With the pizzas and drinks flowing around the course all around the USA, let’s take a look at all the laser-accurate shots that have forced the players to spend a part of their event winnings.
Rory McIlroy flys the ball into the sink
Rory McIlroy made his season debut in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on January 30, 2025. Missing in action for most of the month, fans were excited to watch the Irishman back in the circuit, and oh what a treat it was to see his strokeplay. McIlroy kicked off the tournament playing from the back-9 of a split field at the Spyglass Hill Golf Course. He scored his first point on the 12th with a beautiful birdie. Only a few holes later, McIlroy was teeing off on a 119-yard hole at the 15th. The trajectory and flight of the drive were so perfect that the ball landed in the hole. Yes, it didn’t bounce on the green at all. This was the second ace of Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour career.
The brilliant display of precision set the stage for the 35-year-old who showcased his dominance throughout the tournament. As everyone on the course found out that weekend, a confident Rory McIlroy is unbeatable. The best of it was seen in the final round, where the entire field was aiming for birdies to catch up to him. However, the Irishman only had his eyes on eagles, nearly scoring 4 in the back 9. This ensured that McIlroy had no competitors who could chase him down to steal the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title from him. Unlike Charlie Woods, McIlroy couldn’t tell Tiger Woods “I am broke” to excuse himself from treating the field. However, he could share the expenses with the next pro in the lineup.
Shane Lowry’s imitation act
Rory McIlroy was not the only Irishman to hit an ace at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament. Teeing off at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Shane Lowry was also in the headlines for his excellent strokeplay. Playing on his 16th hole for the day, Lowry teed off on the 113-yard hole 7. Unlike McIlroy, the 37-year-old was facing a hole down the hill. While the ball didn’t fly in, it did roll into the hole after a few bounces.
An excited Shane Lowry celebrated the ace with his pro-am partner. The 2019 Open Championship winner also had a dominating tournament at the Pebble Beach Golf Links. And while he did overcome every other adversary on the field, he couldn’t surpass McIlroy to win the title. Lowry ended the tournament in 2nd place, 2 strokes shy of matching the world no. 3. Rory McIlroy had posted a picture of the pizza and drinks treat for his fellow PGA Tour pros while confirming that he had shared the expenses with Shane Lowry.
Kris Ventura’s 208-yard ace
Lining up on the 13th hole at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, Kris Ventura faced a challenging task. He had to avoid the small waterbody to land the ball close to the hole that was 208 yards long. But Ventura was not just aiming to get close, or so he would say now that the moment has passed. The ball landed about 60 meters away from the hole off the drive. After a few bounces, it rolled down the green and rimmed the entire hole before dropping in.
The unbelievable shot took everyone by surprise, including the commentators who were left speechless. Ventura celebrated the stroke with his tee-off partners and caddies as he rose up the leaderboard. This was his 2nd ace in the 53 PGA Tour tournaments he had played till then. Ventura ended finished at T58 with a 10-under par 278 in the American Express.
Sami Valimaki scores a banger
A few days before Kris Ventura’s ace, Sami Valimaki had also hit a sensational stroke at the American Express. The Finnish golfer was at the Nicklaus Tournament Course for his 1st round efforts. He had already had a great start to the tournament with a birdie on the 2nd hole of the back 9. Nobody would have imagined what would happen as he was setting up for a challenging 165-yard hole no. 12. Off the drive, the ball landed on the green and rolled over into the cup.
Valimaki celebrated with everyone before moving on to the next hole. This was only his 29th PGA Tour start and the 26-year-old had already achieved the amazing feat. He also became the first player from Finland to score an ace on the PGA Tour.
Emiliano Grillo’s masterstroke
The last hole-in-one on this list is the first ace scored in February 2025. Emiliano Grillo was lagging behind the field after the first round. He was a couple of strokes off the projected cutline when he lined up for a stroke at the 16th hole of the WM Phoenix Open. Fans were closely tracking the Argentinian’s 155-yard drive off the tee as it landed on the green. After a few bounces, the ball sunk in the hole to give Grillo the second ace of his career.
The crowd erupted, throwing their green bottles on the course to celebrate Grillo’s achievement. The 32-year-old couldn’t hold back his emotions as he jumped in joy, chest-bumping his group mate before embracing his caddie in joy. With the ace, Emiliano Grillo ensured that he made the cutline and qualified for the action on the weekend.
Which one of these aces was the best according to you and why do you think it was Rory McIlroy’s 15th hole effort? Let us know in the comments section.
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