PGA Championship: Eric Cole sinks perfect hole-in-one in opening round at Quail Hollow
The first ace of the PGA Championship belongs to Eric Cole. ()
The first ace of the PGA Championship goes to Eric Cole.
Cole hit the perfect tee shot at the 184-yard par 3 fourth on Thursday afternoon to kick off the second major championship of the season. Cole's ball bounced four times quickly on the front edge of the green at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina, and rolled straight into the cup — which sparked a huge celebration back at the tee box.
That ace came at the perfect time, too. Cole was struggling on his back nine after opening with a bogey and a double. The ace moved him back to even par for the day.
Advertisement
Cole has yet to win on the PGA Tour in his career. He has two top-10 finishes on Tour this season, however, most recently a T5 run at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago. This is just Cole's third start at a PGA Championship. He missed the cut last season in Louisville.
Tyler Collet nearly beat Cole to it early in the day. The teaching pro out of Florida came just inches away from an ace at the 13th. He was left stunned on the tee when his ball just barely lipped out.
This is Collet's fourth PGA Championship appearance, though he's yet to make the cut in his career.
While both Collet and Cole walked away with some incredible shots on Thursday afternoon, they were both still well behind Ryan Gerard — who jumped out to the early lead with a 5-under 66 in the early wave.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Matthieu Pavon pokes fun at himself after making a 12 at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open
Matthieu Pavon pokes fun at himself after making a 12 at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open Golf is a silly game, and even for the best players in the world, sometimes it requires a sense of humor to get through the tough times. Enter: Matthieu Pavon. The 32-year-old Frenchman shot even-par 70 in the first round of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open on Thursday and had a solid chance at making the weekend with a good round Friday. That possibility went out the window after just one hole, though, when Pavon made a 12 on the par-4 10th to start his second round. The massive number dropped him more than 50 spots on the leaderboard, and he ultimately finished third-to-last, just one behind world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who had a rough week in his own right. Now, it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world to see a performance like that at your local muni on a given weekend, but how does a player on the PGA Tour — the highest level of golf in the world — make a 12? Well, Pavon explained exactly how. In a hilarious post to X on Saturday, Pavon walked through "The easy guide to making a perfect 12." Here's his breakdown: Step 1: "First shot: Feeling confident off the tee after a brilliant warm up. Pull the shot 40 [yards] left into deep rough." Step 2: "Get lucky: ball is plugged. Make a perfect drop — going for the green is tempting, although a little voice in your head says 'get back to the fairway.' Decided to go for it. Grass closed the clubface at impact — straight into the trees." Step 3: "Dead! Try to go back to the fairway but failed. Now deep in the thick rough." Step 4: "Feeling smart now, try to anticipate the clubface closing at impact. Wasn't successful. Ball straight in the water!" Step 5: "Drop." The expert advice on how to make a 12 😅 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 8, 2025 Step 6: "Great decision: Dropping 60 yards from the pin on a tight and wet surface. Fat the shot, ball in the water!" Step 7: "Drop again." Step 8: "Head is gone. So why not try again from 60 yards instead of going a few steps back to you favorite 88 yard [shot]? Fat the shot again. Water." Step 9: "Drop again (starting to master it) from the same spot." Step 10: "Realize there are only two balls left in the bag. Play smart: aim left to avoid the big slope pulling balls back into the water." Step 11: "Finally on the green. God, it feels good! Looking back at the 10th tee and feeling like the clubhouse is not so far away. Nice lag to 1 foot to make sure I'm not making three putts (not great for the stats)!" Step 12: "In! Highest personal score on a single hole in career. Walk to the next tee, try to pinch myself, ask my caddie if it was a 10? Turns out it was a 12! Think about John-Louis Guepy, the record-holder for most consecutive birdies (10). Why not? Birdied the next two... and came back to earth with a bogey on 13!" It was likely an embarrassing moment for Pavon, but nothing that a few jokes can't fix. And hey, it's not the worst score ever recorded on the PGA Tour. Not even close, actually. Pavon now turns his attention toward Oakmont, where he'll look to avoid a 12 and capture his first major victory at the 125th U.S. Open.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
When is 2025 US Open? Start date, schedule, how to watch golf's third major
When is 2025 US Open? Start date, schedule, how to watch golf's third major Show Caption Hide Caption John Smoltz favors McIlroy, Scheffler over LIV Ahead of the American Century celebrity golf tournament, baseball hall of famer John Smoltz breaks down the best celebrity golfers and why he favors the PGA over LIV. The 125th U.S. Open golf championship begins Thursday at historic Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PGA Championship winner and the world's No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler, Masters champ Rory McIlroy and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau lead the field of 156 players set to compete for golf's third major of the season. Oakmont has hosted the U.S. Open more than any other course, with this year's tournament marking the 10th time in its history. The Henry Fownes-designed layout, opened 122 years ago in 1903. Since then, it's been the site of many legendary golf moments – from Ben Hogan's 1953 triumph, after which he famously called the course a "monster" to 22-year-old Jack Nicklaus' playoff victory over Arnold Palmer in 1962 to Johnny Miller's final-round 63 to win in 1973. The U.S. Open has the most diverse field of any of the four majors, with nearly half the field comprised of qualifiers from over 100 regional events, including high school junior Mason Howell. Here is what to know about the 2025 U.S. Open, including TV and streaming information. When is 2025 U.S. Open? Dates, time, how to watch The 2025 U.S. Open golf championship will be broadcast live on NBC and on USA Network, with coverage also on NBC's Peacock streaming service. Golfers can be followed on the live stream at and on Peacock. Round 1: Thursday, June 12 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: USA Network 5-8 p.m.: Peacock Round 2: Friday, June 13 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Peacock 1-7 p.m.: NBC/Peacock 7-8 p.m.: Peacock Round 3: Saturday, June 14 10 a.m.-noon: USA Network Noon-8 p.m.: NBC/Peacock Round 4: Sunday, June 15
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
PGA Tour leaderboard: Final round updates from the 2025 RBC Canadian Open
PGA Tour leaderboard: Final round updates from the 2025 RBC Canadian Open A champion will be crowned at TPC Toronto on Sunday as players compete in the final round of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. Italy's Matteo Manassero and New Zealand's Ryan Fox share the lead entering Sunday at 14 under and will tee off as the final pairing at 1:45 p.m. ET. There were 23 players within four shots of the lead after Saturday's third round action, including a three-way tie at 13 under between Lee Hodges, Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty. RBC Canadian Open 2025 leaderboard Keep tabs on all the action in Ontario with the 2025 RBC Canadian Open leaderboard. What's the weather forecast for Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open? Fans attending Sunday's final round will likely be in for another wonderful day of weather, with partly cloudy conditions and a high temperature in the low 70s. Players, though, will be dealing with a bit more wind than they have all week. The forecast calls for wind speeds of about 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. How much money does the winner make at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open? The total purse for this year's RBC Canadian Open is $9.8 million, with $1.764 million going to the winner. How to watch the 2025 RBC Canadian Open
