Photo by Freerange Stock, CC by 1.0
There’s a unique thrill that comes with sinking a hole-in-one on the golf course. It’s a feeling comparable to scoring a screamer from midfield in football or watching the ball sail out of the ground after a powerful hit as a batsman in cricket.
To celebrate this remarkable achievement, we’ve dug into the archives to uncover some of the longest and most memorable hole-in-ones in PGA Tour history.
Making a hole in one is, of course, not something that happens very often on the golf course, but there are certain players that have had more success than others in this department.
Since the 1983 PGA Tour season, both Hal Sutton and Robert Allenby share the record for the most aces, with 10 each.
The longest recorded hole-in-one was made by Mike Crean, who holed out on the par-5 ninth hole at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver in 2002 from a distance of 517 yards (473 meters). Crean, a four-handicapper, undoubtedly benefited from the thin air at high altitude, helping him achieve his impressive ‘condor’.
For the purpose of this article, we will focus specifically on the longest hole-in-ones recorded during the PGA Tour and majors.
Ace on a Par-Four Hole!
There has only been one recorded hole-in-one on a par-four in PGA Tour history. Andrew Magee pulled off this remarkable feat in 2001 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
On the 332-yard 17th hole at TPC Scottsdale, Magee teed off, and his ball soared down the fairway, rolling onto the green before unexpectedly deflecting off the putter of Tom Byrum, who was playing ahead in the group. The ball then dropped straight into the hole.
Though footage of this extraordinary shot is limited, cameras captured the ball as it approached the green. It remains one of the most unbelievable moments in golf history.
Kim’s Historic Ace at the Open
Si Woo Kim from South Korea made history in July, 2024 by sinking the first hole-in-one at the British Open on Troon’s 238-yard 17th hole, setting a new record for the longest ace ever in the tournament.
Kim had struggled on the penultimate hole before, posting a double bogey and a bogey on his first two attempts. But by the time he reached the 17th tee, he had just birdied the 16th, his first since the short Postage Stamp eighth, though he stood at seven over for the tournament.
With his tee shot falling just short of the green, it began to roll forward, almost as if guided by fate, it stayed on the right track and dropped right into the hole.
Barber Strikes in Buick
Let’s roll back to 1962 and the Buick Invitational, where 1961 US PGA champion Jerry Barber made history by recording the first televised hole-in-one.
On the 17th hole during the final round, standing at 222 yards, the late American golfer struck his shot, and the ball took a perfect bounce onto the green before dropping straight into the hole. The crowd, packed with spectators, erupted in excitement, making it one of the most iconic golf moments of all time.
Skip to 3:30 on the video below to see this fantastic strike.
Byrd Ends in Style
One of the greatest finishes to a PGA tournament came 11 years ago at the 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open when Jonathan Byrd claimed victory in unforgettable fashion.
After 72 holes, Byrd, Martin Laird, and Cameron Percy were all tied at -21, leading to a three-way playoff. Despite the tension, the trio couldn’t be separated after the first three sudden-death holes.
As the light began to fade, the decision was made to play one final hole, the 204-yard par-three 17th. Byrd then stepped up and delivered a shot for the ages, driving the ball straight into the cup from the tee box to secure the title in spectacular style.
Tiger Makes His Mark
No hole-in-one list would be complete without the name of Tiger Woods, one of the greatest players to have played the game. Now a 15-time major champion, with his most recent victory at the 2019 Masters, the American made his professional debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open in sensational style.
Woods was not in contention going into Sunday’s final round but he still found a way to get the attention back on him when making an incredible hole-in-one at the 202-yard par-three 14th.
It was obvious that he would go on to achieve great things after that, right?
Check out our post on The Longest Holes in Golf – not even Bryson would be able to make a hole in one on these monsters!
