Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both got a hole in one to cap off a dramatic opening day at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
McIlroy hit a slam dunk on the 119-yard 15th as he floated a three-quarter sand wedge from the elevated tee box at Spyglass Hill for just his second ever PGA TOUR hole in one en route to a bogey-free 66.
But Lowry soon stole his thunder with another iconic ace at Pebble Beach’s famous seventh hole. The ball pitched short left, skipped to the right, spun and dropped taking his hole in one tally to four with three coming at the par-3 16th at Augusta National, 17th at TPC Sawgrass and now at Pebble. Quite the collection.
McIlroy and Lowry are also both in good shape in a share of eighth place, on six-under-par, two shots behind early leader Russell Henley.
McIlroy had already birdied the par-3 13th before his hole in one and he put together a strong finish to his round with three birdies in his last four holes to put himself into early contention.
The Holywood man described his fantastic moment as “lucky.”
“I said to Fred out there that it’s such an elevated tee that the ball’s in the air and you know it’s online but you don’t know whether to say go or sit or spin or release or whatever. It’s sort of weird, you’re looking at it and you’re sort of watching where it might land on the green and the thing just disappears.
“Honestly, it was lucky, I don’t see many balls nowadays go straight in the hole and stay in the hole. Pretty fortunate because it could have come out and went back in the water or do anything. It was a good swing, good wedge shot.
The early signs look promising for the 35-year-old who has changed his golf ball from a 2019 Taylormade TP5x to a 2024 TP5.
“I sort of stumbled upon it. I was messing around at the Grove the other day. This has got to be like Thursday last week. I just started to hit some chips with the TP5 instead of the TP5x and I really loved how I felt. And I hadn’t really tested the 2024 TP5 and I loved how it was reacting around the greens. And then I started hitting some like 60, 70-yard shots with it and it was coming off much lower launch, but spinnier.
“Then I just did some testing with it and compared it to the TP5x. I used a 2019 TP5 and the difference between a 2019 TP5 and a 2019 TP5x was a lot in terms of the spin rates and the launch angles. This seems to launch probably a degree lower for me, but the spin rate’s very, very similar, which I really like.
“Yeah, did some testing with it, really like it. Doesn’t seem to lose any speed with the driver either, even though it’s a lower compression golf ball. I thought I’ve got four rounds this week, no cut, may as well give it a go and see how it goes. I played 18 at Pebble on Tuesday, played 18 at Cypress yesterday with it and obviously played here today and it’s been really, really good.”
Lowry may not have the number of wins that his career deserves but he has produced so many memorable moments outside of his 2019 Open Championship win and he couldn’t decide which bucket list ace he preferred in his career.
“It’s pretty cool. Pebble is one of the most amazing places in the world so to do something like that and have those memories is pretty cool. I hit a little 54 degree and tried to chase it up the green and it came out perfect just left of the hole where you need to be so very fortunate.
“That’s like asking someone who their favourite child is. Just to do it and experience it and you see the celebrations, hopefully I can kick on and have a good tournament.”
Meanwhile, Seamus Power got off to a fine start on his return from a back injury, carding a three-under 69 at Pebble Beach.
Leader Russell Henley holds a one shot advantage over Jake Knapp, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose, Cam Davis, Viktor Hovland and Rasmus Hojgaard.
World number one Scottie Scheffler found things plain sailing on his return from a freak hand injury over the Christmas break as he fired a five-under 67 at Spyglass Hill.
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