Not all holes-in-one are the same, as Stefano Mazzoli showed with a glorious slam dunk ace during the third round of the International Series Qatar.
The Italian canned a wedge from the 17th tee at Doha Golf Club to bag the purest hole-in-one you could imagine during the Asian Tour event.
Sometimes getting an ace can have a slice of fortune involved. A ball can bounce off a hill, jump out of some rough or catch a lucky break on the green, while at times players are at the mercy of spin.
Not Mazzoli though, who hit his wedge shot to the exact millimeter as his ball managed to sneak through the gap between flagstick and cup and nestle right into the hole on the full.
It's one of the most magical and pleasing sights in golf, and some way for 28-year-old Mazzoli to land the very first hole-in-one of his career.
“It went straight in and we never saw it again,” said Mazzoli. “Usually, you know it can bounce out and come back, but it was straight in and never moved out of the way.
"After a tough battle on the course today with the wind, I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better finish than this.
"I was already pleased with a birdie on 16 and, I mean, I never had a hole-in-one, so I wasn’t expecting that, for sure and then obviously I got a birdie also on 18.”
With three top fives from 14 events this season, Mazzoli is in the running for the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year Award - and a good finish in Qatar would certainly help with that.
The hole-in-one helped Mazzoli card a third-round 69 to sit in T3 on nine under, just four shots off leader Peter Uihlein.
Zac Bachou is in second just one stroke behind the American, with India's Gaganjeet Bhullar alongside Mazzoli in third.
The event is the penultimate one of the International Series campaign, which will be completed next week in Saudi Arabia with the overall winner bagging a spot in the LIV Golf League for next year.
John Catlin currently leads the overall standings but is in danger of being caught as he sits in T27 on three under in Qatar, so will want a big finish to strengthen his chances.
