The odds of a PGA pro hitting a hole-in-one are 3,000 to one. The odds of making a hole-in-one after you miss the green badly to the left, and then have the ball bounce right onto the green and roll to the opposite side and into the cup? Probably an impossible feat — until Sunday.
Shawn Stefani accomplished this incredible feat on the par-3, 213-yard 17th hole on Sunday at the Merion Golf Club with a 4-iron. The 31-year-old had been struggling ever since he made the cut at the U.S. Open, shooting an 85 (+15) Saturday. His tournament total had made its way to 20 over par by the time he approached the tee on the 17th.
“I wasn’t really thinking about doing anything spectacular. It just happened,” Stefani said to USA Today. “But to do that on that hole in this tournament is something that I’ll never forget as long as live. And we’ll have to wait and see what happens on SportsCenter [Sunday night].”
Stefani followed his ace up with a bogey on the 18th, finished Sunday with a one under 69 and ended the tournament at 19 over. Stefani’s hole-in-one was the first ever at a U.S. Open held at Merion, which has hosted five. It was the 43rd ace in U.S. Open history.
Check out the video of Stefani’s improbable shot below, along with a video of his caddy’s reaction.
