Rory McIlroy made the first ace of his PGA Tour career during round one at the Travelers Championship.
The four-time Major champion holed out from 214 yards on the par 3 8th hole at TPC River Highlands.
Watch Rory McIlroy's hole-in-one at The Travelers Championship:
🚨RORY MCILROY HOLE-IN-ONE!! 🚨pic.twitter.com/xHU3VVhVrHJune 22, 2023
McIlroy got off to a slow start on Thursday in Connecticut, with a birdie on the 2nd followed up by two dropped shots on the 4th and 5th holes. He was one-over-par standing on the 8th tee but incredibly left the hole one-under-par after his stunning '1'.
He then almost holed out again on the 9th, this time from a fairway bunker, to leave a tap-in birdie for a two-under-par front nine.
Almost two hole-outs in a row for @McIlroyRory 👀 pic.twitter.com/eMn4DXLv1bJune 22, 2023
It's the Northern Irishman's second hole-in-one as a professional, after making his first at the 2015 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He holed a 9-iron from 177 yards on the 15th hole in the second round.
McIlroy is looking to bounce back on the PGA Tour this week after finishing one stroke behind Wyndham Clark at the US Open last week. McIlroy carded a final round 70 to miss out by one and record his second runner-up finish in a Major in the last 14 months.
His Major drought currently approaches nine years after his last victory at the 2014 PGA Championship, but his form is certainly trending towards a fifth Major and a second Claret Jug triumph at Royal Liverpool in next month's Open Championship.
"The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it's going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for Hoylake in a few weeks' time," he said after the close call at Los Angeles Country Club.
"It is [exhausting competing for Majors], but at the same time, when I do finally win this next Major, it's going to be really, really sweet.
"I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another Major championship."
