Hayden Buckley makes hole-in-one on 17th at PLAYERS
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Hayden Buckley made a hole-in-one at the 125-yard 17th hole in the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on Thursday morning.
It was the second career ace on the PGA TOUR for Buckley, 27, whose tee shot with a pitching wedge landed behind the pin and spun back into the hole. The crowd erupted and Buckley threw his hat in air, touching off a wild celebration with his caddie, Brian Mahoney, and playing partners Taylor Montgomery and Adam Long.
Hayden Buckley makes a hole-in-one No. 17 at THE PLAYERS
The shot got Buckley, who began his round on the back nine, to 3 under for his first eight holes and in a temporary tie for the lead with Austin Smotherman, Min Woo Lee and Taylor Pendrith.
It was the 40th ace in tournament history, the 35th at TPC Sawgrass, and the 11th at the iconic 17th hole. Buckley also made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole in Round 1 of the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open.
The moment at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday morning continued what has been an eventful season for Buckley. He came into this week on the heels of three straight missed cuts but contended until the bitter end at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, his final-round 68 leaving him in second place, behind only winner Si Woo Kim. Buckley, still looking for his first win on TOUR, is 27th in the FedExCup.