Sepp Straka cards first ace of career, 2024 U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. – Sepp Straka made this U.S. Open’s first ace on Friday morning, his first career hole-in-one on TOUR. Consider it karma squared up.

Straka made a hole-in-one at the par-3 ninth hole in Friday’s second round at Pinehurst No. 2, the 194-yard shot landing roughly 25 feet short of the flag and rolling softly into the cup. The Austrian was giddy in celebration with his caddie and playing partners, and for good reason – it moved him to 2-over for the tournament, one stroke inside the projected cut line.

"Yeah, 7-iron, perfect number for me," said Straka, who shot 72 and at 2-over par will make the cut. "Tried to land it at 185. ... I had one of my best friends playing with me today, J.T. (Poston, 71, 4 over). He was there for my ace at Augusta during the Par 3 (Contest), as well. Our celebration this time was a little bit better."

It's the third ace on No. 9 at a U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, as Straka joins Peter Jacobsen (2005, Round 3) and Zach Johnson (2014, Round 4) with the distinction.

Earlier in the round, Straka’s second shot at the par-4 third hole struck the flagstick and bounded backwards into a greenside bunker, en route to a triple-bogey 7. It was a bad break at an inopportune time, moving him to 3-over for the tournament (he opened in even-par 70 Thursday). In that context, his ace was certainly well deserved; following the triple bogey, he played his next five holes in 1-over before the hole-in-one.

This week marks Straka’s fourth U.S. Open appearance; he finished T28 in his 2019 debut but missed the cut in each of the last two years. At the time of Straka’s ace Friday morning, just before making the turn, the cut was projected at 3-over, with 80 players at 3-over or better. The top 60 players and ties will make the 36-hole cut at Pinehurst No. 2.