Any hole-in-one at the U.S. Open is a rarity. Multiple aces on the same hole on the same day only had happened once before in the tournament’s 120-year history.
Patrick Reed one-hopped his drive on the 165-yard, par-3 seventh hole into the cup during Thursday’s first round at Winged FootGolf Club in Mamaroneck, and his feat incredibly was matched on the same hole later in the day by 24-year-old Will Zalatoris.
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, only wishes the galleries this week were filled with rowdy New York fans, rather than playing on a largely empty course due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It would have been nuts,” Reed said of his hole-in-one after completing his opening round at 4-under 66, one stroke behind leader Justin Thomas. “Up here in New York, the fans are amazing. You go ahead and you hole out from the fairway, you make a hole-in-one, the fans will just go crazy.
“It was unfortunate the fans weren’t here because that would have been an awesome experience. But at the same time, an ace is an ace. I’ll take it either way.”
What is going on at Winged Foot's 7th hole?! @WillZalatoris with the SECOND ace of the day. #USOpenpic.twitter.com/6RHXZyOmC9
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) September 17, 2020
The 30-year-old Reed previously had recorded just one ace in his pro career, at the 2015 Houston Open. His shot marked the second straight year someone has carded a “1” in U.S. Open play, after Rory Sabbatini nailed an ace in 2019 at Pebble Beach.
Zalatoris, a Korn Ferry (developmental) Tour member playing on an exemption this week after qualifying tournaments were canceled due to the pandemic, also amazingly rolled his tee shot into the cup at No. 7 a few hours later to match Reed.
Remarkably, Zalatoris barely missed a second ace on No. 13; his tee shot was dead-center of the hole, but glanced off the pin and rolled a few inches from the cup. He finished with an even-par 70.
The 46th and 47th aces in U.S. Open history made Thursday only the second time that multiple holes-in-one were recorded on the same hole in the same Open round. Doug Weaver, Mark Wiebe, Jerry Pate and Nick Price all amazingly did so on the par-3 sixth hole in the second round at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester in 1989.
