Even after 13 years, Rory McIlroy still has some things to check off his PGA Tour bucket list.
Case in point: until Thursday, the 34-year-old had never recorded a hole-in-one on Tour, but that changed on his 3,253rd-career par 3.
McIlroy teed up at the par-3 eighth during the first round of the Travelers Championship Thursday afternoon, hitting a 5-iron from 214 yards out that subsequently took a small bounce on the green a few feet out and rolled right into the cup.
McIlroy’s ace on No. 8 at Travelers Championship
“As hole-in-ones go, I’ve had them in the past where it has been like an OK shot, and you get a little lucky,” McIlroy said after his round. “That was the best shot of the day that I hit. Obviously, a bonus for it to go in the hole, but it was really cool. I played pretty average up until that point. Felt like that hole in one got me going a little bit.”
Clearly, the golf gods decided a consolation prize was in order for McIlroy’s seemingly umpteenth close call at a major last week at the US Open, when he finished solo second behind Wyndham Clark. McIlroy hasn’t won a major since 2014.
The ace isn’t a replacement for a win, though, and McIlroy has moved beyond relishing a fleeting moment like that. In fact, he tossed the ball into the crowd after retrieving it.
“I’m not sentimental,” he said of the inanimate object. “I don’t care. I’d rather have trophies than golf balls.”
While McIlroy’s best finish to date at TPC River Highlands is T-11 (2020), his bid to hoist the trophy at the fan-favorite tournament is off to a good start. He followed the ace with two straight birdies, including a barkie (birdie after hitting a tree) on the ensuing par-4 ninth.
“Tom [Kim] and I both hit that tree in the fairway, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one ball hit the tree in the group that I’ve played in, so to see two hit it… I felt like I hit a perfect tee shot, it hit the tree, it went in the rough, got lucky with the second shot, so I feel like that evened itself out, and then held the putt for birdie,” McIlroy assessed.
You know the Northern Irishman is having a good day when he makes par on the par-4 12th, aka his “arch nemesis” at the Travelers — “Never played that hole well,” McIlroy said in a pre-tournament interview.
After shooting a Round 1 2-under 68, McIlroy is T-46, including the ace, five birdies and five bogeys — highs and lows and plenty to improve on.
“Hole-in-ones and great shots, and I also made five bogeys, which was the sloppy bit of the day,” he said. “Making five birdies and an eagle out there would be good enough to be in the top 5. I just need to cut out the mistakes.”
If he can minimize errors, today’s round certainly sets up the reigning FedExCup champion and world No. 3 for a promising weekend of golf with the guise of luck on his side.