First PGA TOUR hole-in-one gets him closer to winning bet with caddie

SAN DIEGO – Ludvig Åberg made a hole-in-one at the 140-yard, par-3 third hole in the third round of The Genesis Invitational on Saturday.

The shot, with a pitching wedge, landed behind the pin and spun back into the hole as Åberg pumped his fists, then high-fived playing partner Patrick Rodgers and their caddies.

“I think it played 115 meters (about 125 yards), something like that,” Åberg said. “It was one of them that I actually hit the shot I wanted to as well, which is nice when it goes in. Hit a little cut pitching wedge up in the wind and landed behind it and came back.

“It was a really cool moment,” he added. “I've never made a hole-in-one in tournament play before, so it was a first for sure.”

The eagle moved Åberg to 6-under for the tournament, just two off the 36-hole lead of Davis Thompson. It also means more money for fire relief efforts in Los Angeles; for every ace this week, Genesis will donate $10,000 to California Rises.

With a 2-under-par 70, Åberg moved to 6-under total, two behind leader Patrick Rodgers (68).

It was Åberg’s first hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR, and his first ace since last fall, he said. Back then, he used a 6-iron to make an ace while playing with his old teammates on the Texas Tech men’s golf team at Lubbock Country Club.

It was the 14th hole-in-one on the third hole at Torrey South since 1983, and the first since 2021.

Åberg holed out from greenside bunkers in each of the first two rounds and spoke Friday of a bet he has with his caddie, Joe Skovron. Åberg needs to reach seven hole-outs by the end of the RBC Heritage, April 17-20, and was already at four entering Round 3.

His tally continued to climb with the hole-in-one Saturday. “It got me one closer; I'm at five now,” he said. “I like my chances.”

More importantly, he’s in the hunt for his second PGA TOUR title. No player who has made an ace on the South Course has gone on to win the tournament since 1983.