PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Aces are wild at the par-3 17th at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass this week.
On Sunday, Alex Smalley became the latest to make a hole-in-one at the famed island green. The 26-year-old Duke product had made a double-bogey seven thanks to a water ball at the par-5 16th.
“I figured I might as well just go right at it,” Smalley said.
He stepped up at the 133-yard par 3 with a sand wedge and delivered another highlight reel moment.
“I guess it landed right on the downslope and just went in,” he said.
Smalley, who recorded his fourth career hole in one, joined Hayden Buckley, who started the fireworks early on Thursday morning in the first round, and Aaron Rai, who made his ace on Saturday during the third round.
Smalley’s ace in the final round is the 12th at the hole since Brian Claar in 1991, and first in the final round since Fred Couples in 1997.
After he picked his ball out of the hole, he motioned as if he intended to toss the ball into the water.
“My caddie told me it would be pretty funny if I kind of fake threw it in the water, so I went ahead and listened to him,” Smalley said. “There was no way I was teeing off on 18 with that ball, either. It’s in my bag somewhere.”
Woke up this morning and still couldn’t believe that this happened! Definitely a memory for a lifetime. Golf. What a crazy game! https://t.co/KlLAjpwfHF
— Alex Smalley (@asmalley_golf) March 13, 2023
