Argentine Emiliano Grillo lit up the opening day at The Open by recording the first hole-in-one of the 148th Championship, producing an early shot-of-the-day contender on the par-three 13th.
The 26-year-old was not among those fancied at the start of the week, with the former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year holding a previous best at The Open of tied-12th in 2016 that remains his best finish at a major so far.
But the Florida resident was left to celebrate after a magical shot on the 194-yard par-three, which came into the week as the third-easiest hole on the course.
Assisted by the wind, Grillo pitched his ball short of the hole and watched on hopefully as it tracked towards the cup, travelling over a mound on the left of the green on its way.
As the ball sunk into the cup, the crowd roared emphatically, with the shot moving Grillo back into mix as he went from two-over-par back to level terms, having already recorded three birdies, two bogeys and a disappointing triple-bogey on the fifth.
Watch the shot below.
The shot was also the first hole-in-one at The Open since 2016, when South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen aced the 14th at Royal Troon.
However, Grillo could not maintain his momentum as he scored two further bogeys on the back nine to finish the opening day two-over-par and facing a battle on Friday to guarantee he’ll make the cut.
