Will Zalatoris was having an up-and-down day via 13 holes Friday on the Genesis Invitational. As much as that time, he had made three birdies and 4 bogeys and sat at 4-under for the championship.
However his spherical modified for the higher on the 184-yard par-3 14th.
He recorded an ace!
His shot despatched the gang into an absolute frenzy, because it elicited the loudest roar Riviera Nation Membership had heard all week.
However Zalatoris acquired greater than a bump up the leaderboard. He’ll obtain a brand-new Genesis GV80, due to his fortunate shot. His caddy, Joel Inventory, receives a model new automobile, too, because the looper will drive residence an Electrified GV70 due to his participant’s hole-in-one.
Zalatoris’ hole-in-one Friday marks the second time he has made an ace throughout his PGA Tour profession, per PGA Tour Communications. His first got here on the seventh gap at Winged Foot in the course of the first spherical of the 2020 U.S. Open. At that time limit, Zalatoris was a digital unknown to most golf followers.
He received in Colorado on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier that summer season, thus incomes him a spot within the U.S. Open just a few months later. Should you recall, COVID-19 postponed the U.S. Open from June to late September.
Zalatoris went on to tie for sixth that week, his first top-10 end in a significant championship. Since then, the previous Wake Forest Demon Deacon has recorded 5 top-10 finishes in majors, together with solo second finishes on the 2021 Masters and the 2022 PGA Championship.
Zalatoris misplaced to Justin Thomas in a playoff at Southern Hills that yr. A month later, he completed one stroke behind Matt Fitzpatrick on the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline.
This week, Zalatoris’ hole-in-one has vaulted him again into rivalry once more. He at the moment sits at 6-under par via 14 holes, three photographs behind leaders Jason Day and Luke Record as of this writing.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Remember to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.