SAN DIEGO — Kyle Westmoreland's shot out of the tee box on the par-3 16th hole at Torrey Pines' South Course struck the green maybe 2 feet to the right of the pin. The sidespin carried the ball directly into the cup on a single bounce.
Westmoreland, a 31-year-old Air Force Academy graduate, threw his club in front of him in triumph. His only other aces — let alone shots with that kind of English on the ball — had occurred on digital courses in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series.
"I've been overdue," Westmoreland said after finishing his opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open with a 2-under 70, tied for 50th. "I've been everything you can imagine. I've hit the pin. I've landed in the hole and bounced out. I've hit in water and had to re-tee and made a 3. Everything you can imagine.
"But hey, I finally have one."
Westmoreland's first career hole-in-one was the highlight of his first start in this tournament. He's familiar with Torrey Pines: Last year, he became the first Air Force Academy grad to qualify for the U.S. Open. He then made the cut at Torrey, ultimately finishing in a tie for 68th place.
At that point, his career was still in the early goings after fulfilling five years of active duty service time following graduation.
He'd been stationed in Colorado Springs, Biloxi, Miss., and Charleston, S.C.
Three times he was sent to three different spots in Africa in a support role.
In between, Westmoreland did what he could to keep his golf game sharp.
"A lot of chipping and putting into boots at the base on a lunch break," Westmoreland said.
His professional path has since taken off. He's moved from PGA Tour Canada to the Korn Ferry Tour and earned his PGA Tour card for the first time. He's made the cut in just two of his first eight starts so far. Westmoreland bogeyed three of his first five holes on Wednesday before his luck turned.
A birdie on 15 reclaimed a stroke lost on 14. Then his tee shot on 16 hit the green and bounced — back and to the left — directly into the cup for just the 26th hole-in-one in the last 40 years at this tournament and the first since Richy Werenski bagged aces in consecutive years in 2020 and 2021.
"We were aiming at the stick," Westmoreland said. "I thought it was going to end up a couple yards short, but it ended up landing just right."
Westmoreland added another birdie on 18, his ninth hole of the day, and shot even on the front nine to give himself a respectable start on the tougher South Course.
"The hole-in-one helped the cause," Westmoreland said. "The South punches back, so to be under par on the South is a good thing. I'll try to take that into the North course and do some damage tomorrow."
'Gentlemen' Aztecs
Xander Schauffelehad played 491 career rounds on the PGA Tour. J.J. Spaun had played 510.
The former San Diego State golfers had never played together until Wednesday.
"Even in college, Korn Ferry Tour, mini tours," Spaun said, "this was our first competitive round together. It was nice to go toe-to-toe with him today. It was blast from the past."
Both played at SDSU, but not together. Schauffele transferred from Long Beach State for the 2013 season and stayed three years. Spaun's final season was 2012.
Schauffele and Spaun knew each other from developmental tours and the occasional practice round. Wednesday on the North Course, Schauffele finished even par after logging birdies on his final three holes. Spaun had the opposite round, with birdies on his first three holes to finish at 2-under.
Did they talk any trash?
"This is a gentlemen's sport, right?" Spaun said, laughing. "We don't really do that. Definitely in practice rounds we talk trash. But we had a good time, casual talk, kept things light. We had a good day. We didn't let it get too far away from us. We're still in the mix. We've got three more rounds to go."
Locals watch
The rest of the area locals joined Schauffle (T-92) and Spaun (T-50) on the North course, with Charley Hoffman (Poway High School) opening with a bogey-free 4-under to move into a tie for 19th.
Both Joey Vrzich (Christian High School) and Michael Kim (Torrey Pines High School) are tied for 33rd after going 3 under in the first round, while Harrison Kingsley (USD, Murrieta Valley High School) went 2-over to dig himself into a T-128 hole.
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Staff writer Mark Zeigler contributed to this report.
