Rory McIlroy made a splash in his season debut on the PGA Tour, acing the par-3 15th hole at Spyglass Hill Golf Course during Thursday’s first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The world No. 3 achieved this feat with just 119 yards to the hole, using a wedge and flying the ball straight into the cup.
McIlroy described the experience as “weird” due to the elevated tee box, which made it difficult to gauge whether he should play the shot or hold back. However, his swing was deemed good, allowing him to achieve the hole-in-one. This marks McIlroy’s second career ace on the PGA Tour.
The achievement boosted McIlroy’s round, moving him to 3-under through six holes and putting him near the top of the leaderboard in the early stages of the tournament. He finished his round with three birdies, securing a 6-under 66 score.
McIlroy attributed his preparedness to playing more golf between the end of last season and this one, including extensive swing work and regular play. This helped him regain his form going into the tournament.
Just hours after McIlroy’s ace, Shane Lowry followed suit, making an ace on Pebble Beach’s 7th hole, also with a score of 66. This achievement marks Lowry’s third career ace on tour.
Source: https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/43628065/rory-mcilroy-aces-15th-hole-spyglass-hill-pga-tour-return