SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It wasn’t the famed 16th hole but an ace is an ace and Rickie Fowler now has one at the WM Phoenix Open.
Fowler, who last won on the PGA Tour at the 2019 Phoenix Open, was 9 under through six holes when he arrived at the long par-3 7th hole.
Measuring 216 yards, Fowler dialed in his 6-iron to perfection. It’s the first ace at the tournament this year. It’s his third on the PGA Tour.
“I’ve been good mates with Rickie for a long time. We came out pretty much the same year. I understand what he’s going through. I think he understands what I’m going through as well. So it’s nice to see him playing some really good golf,” said playing partner Jason Day. “Very rarely do you see a hole-in-one as well. It was nice to be able to see him hole out because obviously when he holes out they’re going to go even crazier.”
It’s the fifth ace in tournament history at the 7th hole and first one there since Scott Piercy accomplished the feat in the second round in 2020 from 194 yards.
RICKIE FOWLER HOLE-IN-ONE ON THE 7TH AT THE @WMPHOENIXOPEN! 🔥
📺: Golf Channel and @peacock pic.twitter.com/t2OKHgs5qL
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) February 12, 2023
There has been a hole-in-one during the tournament in six of the last nine years.
Golf stats guru Justin Ray also reports it’s the 14th career eagle at TPC Scottsdale for Fowler.
The circled 1 on the scorecard took Fowler to 11 under at the time, four back of leader Scottie Scheffler.
“It was insane, just seeing that,” said fan Jamal Williamson, 23, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, “because everybody who was hitting, at first, they were getting some solid swings. But once that one went off, everybody was going crazy over here. That was great to see, and I got it on video. It’s my first time ever out here at a golf tournament, so to videotape a hole-in-one was insane. Rickie, at that?”
Greg Spurlock, 61, from Riverside, California, also witnessed the shot.
“That’s the first hole-in-one I’ve seen live and I’ve played golf forever,” Spurlock said. “That was kind of cool.”
Take another look – and listen – from PGA Tour radio:
The radio call for @RickieFowler's ace is electric 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VYpBESEsES
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 12, 2023
