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Holes-in-one are magical. They are the rarest and most electrifying moments in golf, arriving without warning and leaving the hole-in-one maker, their playing partners and spectators in awe. Everyone loves a hole-in-one, so we’ve gathered thirteen of the most memorable, thrilling, skillful, fluky and downright stunning aces ever recorded for you to relive.
Some of these holes-in-one are unforgettable because of who made them and when they occurred. Tiger Woods announced his arrival on the PGA Tour with two early aces that foreshadowed his future dominance. The legendary Gene Sarazen, one of just five golfers to win all four of golf's major championships, capped his career with a hole-in-one in his final round at The Open Championship.
Others came at critical junctures in major championships, intense team competitions and PGA Tour tournaments. Then there are the flukes and trick shots that beg the question—is a hole-in-one the product of luck or skill? In the end, a hole-in-one is pure joy, and there’s no better example of that than Steph Curry’s reaction at making an ace in American Century Championship, the annual celebrity tournament on Lake Tahoe.
Enjoy these timeless shots once again—and prepare to be amazed!
13 of the most notable and thrilling holes-in-one
Tiger Woods, 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open, Brown Deer Park Golf Club
What were the odds that Woods, a 19-year-old phenom playing to tremendous fanfare in his first tournament as a professional, would also record his first PGA Tour hole-in-one at Brown Deer Park?
Tiger Woods, 1997 WM Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course
Tiger's mere presence in the field brought in an extra 25,000 fans. During the third round on Saturday, always the most raucous day of this rowdy, non-stop party, Woods aced the iconic 16th hole. His fist pumps, the deafening roar and the overall jubilation make this one the most replayed shots in golf history.
Gene Sarazen, 1973 Open Championship, Royal Troon
In his final Open Championship at the age of 71, the 1932 Champion Golfer of the Year (won at Prince's Golf Club) and seven-time major winner aced the devilish Postage Stamp hole, no. 8 at Royal Troon. How fitting for the man who invented the sand wedge.
In Gee Chun, 2023 U.S. Women's Open Championship, Pebble Beach Golf Links
The three-time women's major winner ace on Pebble's 5th hole was her second ace in the LPGA majors of 2023 (Chevron Championship was the other).
James Kingston, 2002 Alfred Dunhill Championship, Houghton Golf Club
Is a hole-in-one a product of skill or luck? Here's a candidate for the flukiest ace in a pro tournament. Fortune smiled on Kingston in this DP World Tour tournament in South Africa when his wayward tee ball hit a tree and ricocheted all the way into the cup.
Jon Rahm, 2020 Masters practice round, Augusta National Golf Club
Trying to skip a shot across the pond during a practice round on the par-3 16th is a Masters tradition. This wasn't the first time anyone made a hole-in-one doing it, but it is the coolest view of one.
Lee Trevino, 1987 Skins Game, Stadium Course at PGA WEST
In the late 1980s, the Skins Game, an unofficial PGA Tour event, became a Thanksgiving weekend tradition featuring four golf legends playing for big money skins. For years it pulled in larger television audiences in the U.S. than golf's four majors. Trevino pocketed $175,000 for a carryover skin when he holed this shot on Alcatraz, the notorious island-green par-3 on the Stadium Course at PGA WEST in La Quinta, Calif.
Emile Kristine Pedersen, 2023 Solheim Cup, Finca Cortesin Golf Club
With both U.S. opponents on the green and facing a one-down deficit in a four-ball match on Day 1 of the Solheim Cup in Spain, Emily Pedersen of Denmark evened the match on the 12th hole with just the second hole-in-one in Solheim Cup history. The ace was a significant element in sparking momentum for the European team as it began a comeback from the early U.S. 4-0 overall point advantage.
David Toms, 2001 PGA Championship, Atlanta Athletic Club
Toms earned the only major title of his career, a one-shot victory over Phil Mickelson, thanks in large part to this hole-in-one in the third round. He hit a five wood to carry the water hazard on the 245-yard 15th hole and raised his arms in exultation when the ball went in.
Jonathan Byrd, 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, TPC Summerlin
Playing in near darkness, Byrd scored the only playoff ace in PGA Tour history. The light was so dim that the three men in the playoff agreed to play the fourth extra hole only because it was a par 3. Hitting with the honors, Byrd's recorded the closest thing to a walk-off hole-in-one.
Michael Block, 2023 PGA Championship, Oak Hill
Block, a California PGA club professional, scored a final-round ace on the 15th hole at Oak Hill to highlight a fairy-tale story. Playing with Rory McIlroy, his shot flew with such precision it dove straight into the cup. Thanks to this hole-in-one and a pressure-packed up-and-down on the finishing hole, Block locked up a spot in the 2024 PGA Championship.
Francisco Molinari, 2024 U.S. Open Championship, Pinehurst No. 2
Because holes-in-one are typically almost impossible on the finishing holes of major championship courses, it's hard to even contemplate hitting a walk-off ace in a major. Will you settle for the remarkable feat of a hole-in-one to make the cut? The stars were aligned for the Italian player at Pinehurst No. 2. Playing very late in the day on Friday in this year's U.S. Open and finishing his round on the par-3 9th hole, Molinari improbably scored an ace to get to play on the weekend.
Steph Curry, 2023 American Century Championship, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course
Steph Curry won the 2023 edition of the Lake Tahoe celebrity tournament with a walk-off putt on the 54th hole. In his second round, he aced Edgewood Tahoe's 7th hole. Curry never celebrated any hoop or championship he made for his Golden State Warriors as wildly as he did this hole-in-one. Check out his adrenaline rush.
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