It’s not every day you see golfers making holes-in-one at professional events. Even that’s difficult for the best players in the world.
It’s almost a guarantee you’ll never see them make one on a par 4.
Don’t tell Aldrich Potgieter that.
The teenager from South Africa who recently turned pro aced a par 4 on the 403-yard 17th hole during a Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour’s 2023 John Deere Classic at Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Illinois. He didn’t see the ball go into the hole and had no idea it was in until his caddie in the fairway ahead of him started freaking out.
In the history of the PGA Tour, there has only been one ace recorded on a par 4: Andrew McGee at the 2001 Phoenix Open.
We still can't believe that happened either, Aldrich. pic.twitter.com/NFhJfKh4wY
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 3, 2023
Potgieter, 18, was 5 under in his final five holes on the back nine (his first side) and signed for a 6-under 66— but he missed getting into the field by one shot.
He made his professional debut two weeks ago at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Compliance Solutions Championship in Norman, Oklahoma, then played last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he missed the cut. He also made starts at the Masters and U.S. Open this year, making the cut at Los Angeles Country Club and finishing 64th.
