The PGA Championship began as a match-play tournament before becoming a stroke-play tournament in 1958. The prestigious tournament is held at rotating courses, and several hole-in-ones have occurred. These are the men who accomplished the feat.
Dick Hart – 1963 – Dallas Athletic Club
After an outstanding amateur career in Illinois, Dick Hart joined the PGA Tour. He had a career highlight at the 1963 PGA Championship in Dallas, notching a hole-in-one and holding a three stroke lead after the second round, though he would later fade and finish in a tie for 17th.
George Knudson – 1965 – Laurel Valley Country Club
George Knudson is uniquely distinguished. He is tied for the most PGA Tour victories by a Canadian player with eight. He also had a nice career highlight at Pennsylvania’s Laurel Valley Country Club during the 1965 PGA Championship, hitting a hole-in-one and tying for 17th place.
Larry Ziegler – 1968 – Pecan Valley
Ziegler caddies as a youth and worked his way into professional golf. He had a hole-in-one on the hole at his first PGA Tournament in 1968, finishing in 73rd place. He would be much better the next years, finishing the ’69 PGA Championship tied for 5th.
Jim Turnersa – 1969 – NCR, Kettering, Ohio
The 1969 PGA Championship was played at the NCR Course in Kettering, Ohio. Jim Turnesa, the winner of the 1952 PGA Championship was playing in his last event as a 56 year-old. While he would finish in a tie for 76th place, he did have a hole-in-one during the event.
Hale Irwin – 1975 – Firestone, Ohio
After six years, Hale Irwin hit the next hole-in-one at a PGA Championship. Irwin’s feat came at the Firestone Golf Course in Ohio, designed by Jack Nicklaus. The three-time U.S. Open winner, Irwin would have a hole-in-one and tie for 5th place at the 1975 PGA Championship.
Peter Oosterhuis – 1976 – Congressional, Bethesda, Maryland
Peter Oosterhuis spent most of his career on the European and South African Tours, but did have top-10 finished in every major except for the PGA Championship. For that event, he’d have to settle for a hole-in-one and a T38 in 1976.
Tom Nieporte – 1977 – Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, which has hosted both U.S. Opens and PGA Championships has always been a place where aces could be hit. Tom Nieporte had the first of them during the 1977 event, where he would fail to make the cut.
Bob Zender – 1977 – Pebble Beach
Bob Zender played in 208 PGA events during his career, but failed to win any of them. One of the major highlights of his career was a hole-in-one at Pebble Beach during the 1977 PGA Championship. Still, Zender would fail to make the cut.
Gil Morgan – 1978 – Oakmont
Gil Morgan, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, had an awesome moment at the 1978 PGA at Oakmont, hitting an ace on his way to a T4 finish. Morgan would also finish in a tie for third place at the 1980 and 1990 PGA Championships.
Ron Streck – 1979 – Oakland Hills
Ron Streck had the most memorable weekend of his golfing career during the 1979 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. Not only did the veteran record a hole-in-one, he would also finish the tournament in fourth place, his best ever finish at a major.
Frank Conner – 1979 – Oakland Hills
Frank Conner is a tremendous athlete who is the only man to ever play in U.S. Open tennis and golf tournaments. Conner would have a strong weekend at the 1979 PGA Championship, finishing in a tie for 23rd place and hitting a hole-in-one.
Bob Eastwood – 1981 – Atlanta
Bob Eastwood had a long professional golf career but was short on highlights as his best major finish was a T14 at the 1987 U.S. Open. He finished in a tie for 33rd place at the 1981 PGA Championship, but did record a hole in one over the weekend putting himself on this list.
Woody Blackburn – 1982 – Southern Hills
A long-time pro, Woody Blackburn won two PGA Tour events, one in 1976 and another one in 1985. In between, Blackburn had a hole-in-one during the 1982 PGA Championship at Southern Hills though he’d only finish in 73rd place.
Peter Ossterhuis – 1982 – Southern Hills
A four-time winner of the Harry Vardon Trophy as the best player on the European Tour, Peter Ossterhuis had his second PGA Championship in 1982 on the 8th hole at Southern Hills. There was supposed to be a major prize for the hole, but it fell through before the event.
Bobby Nichols – 1983 – Riviera
Bobby Nichols was a fine player whose career was never really the same after lightning struck him during the 1975 Western Open. Nichols would continue to play on the PGA Tour and make a hole-in-one during the 1983 PGA Championship at Riviera.
Donnie Hammond – 1985 – Cherry Hills
Donnie Hammond spent 15 years on the PGA Tour and had wins in 1986 and 1989. His best finish at a major was a fifth-place tie in the Open Championship in 1992 and during his 32nd place tie at Cherry Hills in 1985 he had a hole-in-one.
Bob Lohr – 1987 – PGA National
A 12-year veteran of the PGA Tour, Bob Lohr won 3 events over his career. Majors presented a challenge for him. Lohr aced a hole at the 1987 PGA Championship in Florida. Despite the hole-in-one, Lohr was unable to make the tournament’s cut.
Gene Sauers – 1988 – Oak Tree
The Oak Tree course in Edmond, Oklahoma dished out plenty of aces during the 1988 PGA Championship. Gene Sauers, who would nearly win the 1992 PGA Championship, started festivities at the event by hitting the first ace, though he wouldn’t make the cut.
Paul Azinger – 1988 – Oak Tree
One of the best players of the 1980s and 1990s, Paul Azinger was the second golfer to record an ace at Oak Tree during the 1988 PGA Championship. His success would continue throughout the event as he finished in second place.
David Edwards – 1988 – Oak Tree
David Edwards, who turned pro in 1978, would reach a career high ranking of 25 in 1993, was the third golfer to ace a hole at the 1988 PGA Championship. It would be part of a nice weekend for Edwards who ended in a tie for 25th place.
Raymond Floyd – 1988 – Oak Tree
A two-time PGA Championship winner, Raymond Floyd recorded the final hole in one of the 1988 PGA Championship. 45 years old at the time, Floyd showed he still had the goods by finishing the event in a tie for ninth place.
Davis Love III – 1989 – Kemper Lakes
Davis Love III would become a 37-time winner on the PGA Tour including the 1997 PGA Championship was early into his career during the 1989 PGA Championship. This event was his best major to date as he had a hole in one and ended in a tie for 17th place.
Mark O’Meara – 1989 – Kemper Lakes
Mark O’Meara also hit a hole-in-one at Kemper Lakes in 1989, but wasn’t able to make the cut. But things went alright for the golfer in the coming years as he won two majors and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.
Scott Hoch – 1989 – Kemper Lakes
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Scott Hoch had the third hole in one at Kemper Lakes in 1989 as he had seven during his PGA career, good for fourth all-time. 1989 was a great year for him and that included a T7 at the PGA Championship.
Lanny Wadkins – 1989 – Kemper Lakes
Lanny Wadkins enjoyed playing in the PGA Championship as he won the event in 1977 at Pebble Beach. He would become the fourth player to hit an ace at the 1989 event, but that was one of his few highlights of the weekend as he missed the cut.
Lee Janzen – 1995 – Riviera
There was a six-year gap in holes-in-one at the PGA Championship, but Lee Janzen ended that at the 1995 event at Riviera in Los Angeles. Janzen, one of the best players in the world at this point, would finish in a tie for 23rd.
Fuzzy Zoeller – 1995 – Riviera
In 1995, Fuzzy Zoeller was coming to the end of a long and successful career that saw him win two majors and eight other PGA events. The 1995 PGA wouldn’t be his best as he finished in 69th place, but he did have a hole in one during the event.
Vijay Singh – 1996 – Valhalla
Vijay Singh was an experienced pro by the time he joined the PGA Tour and won the 1993 Rookie of the Year award. He continued to show what a great competitor he was going to be at the 1996 PGA Championship where he had an ace and finished T5.
Steve Lowery – 1996 – Valhalla
Valhalla saw multiple holes-in-one during the 1996 PGA Championship, as Steve Lowery followed Vijay Singh’s ace with one of his own. Lowery failed to make the cut at the 1996 event, but he finished third in 2001, his best major finish.
George Bowman – 1996 – Valhalla
George Bowman played 22 events on the Kohn Ferry Tour, making six cuts and three events on the PGA Tour, making zero cuts. Despite missing the cut at the 1196 PGA Championship at Valhalla, he did ace a hole, giving him a great story for years to come.
Ernie Els – 1997 – Winged Foot
One of the best players in golf throughout the 90s, Ernie Els would have a big year in 1997, winning the U.S. Open and becoming the world number one. He added a hole-in-one at the 1997 PGA Championship though he finished the event T53.
Mark Brooks – 1999 – Medinah
A pro since 1983, Mark Brooks was well acquainted with the PGA Championship, having won the event at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky in 1996. Brooks would continue to play in the event until 2015. He hit a hole-in-one at the 1999 tournament and tied for 16th place.
Nick Faldo – 2001 – Atlanta
The iconic Nick Faldo won six majors in his career but his best finish at a PGA Championship was a T2 in 1992. Faldo was 25 years into his career by the time 2001 rolled around but he showed that he was still a force to be reckoned with by acing the fourth hole.
Scott Hoch – 2001 – Atlanta
Scott Hoch hit an amazing seven holes-in-one during his career, ranking him fourth all-time on the PGA Tour. One of them came at the 2001 PGA Champion as he aced the 17th hole. Hoch would finished the tournament in a tie for 7th place.
David Toms – 2001 – Atlanta
Hitting a hole-in-one doesn’t ensure event success or even making the cut, but David Tom’s ace on the 15th hole on the 2001 PGA Championship held is Atlanta is credited with helping him to hold off Phil Mickleson and win his first and only major championship.
Robert Allenby – 2003 – Oak Hill
The 11th pin at Oak Hill is considered to be especially tricky but the Australian Allenby was feeling bold during the 2003 PGA Championship and he just went for it, resulting in a hole-in-one. Allenby would finish in a tie for 39th place.
Hale Irwin – 2004 – Whistling Straits
While he would fail to make the cut at the major, Hale Irwin aced the 7th hole at Whistling Straits during the 2004 PGA Championship. The feat was made even more impressive by the fact that his was his second ace during the major, though they happened 29 years apart.
Robert Gamez – 2004 – Whistling Straits
The 1990 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Gamez also holds a record for the longest gap between PGA Tour wins (15 years). His best year at the PGA Championship was 2003 with a T14 finish, but he also aced the 17th hole at Whistling Straits during the 2004 event.
Charles Howell III – 2005 – Baltusrol
Charles Howell III never quite made good on the promise he showed as a high school phenom, but he has still carved out a nice career with three career PGA Tour wins. He had a nice highlight during the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol where he aced the fourth hole in the 3rd round.
Olin Browne – 2006 – Medinah
Olin Browne already had a hole-in-one at a major, recording one during the 2001 U.S. Open. He repeated the feat in 2006, acing the 17th hole in the first round at Medinah. The veteran linksman would finish in a tie for 46th place.
Freddie Jacobson – 2008 – Oakland Hills
Freddie Jacobson, a Swedish golfer, ranked as high as 14th in the world during the 2003 season and had some nice success on the European Tour. He was the only golfer to hit an ace at the 2008 PGA Champiojnship at Oakland Hills doing so on the 13th hole.
Tom Lehman – 2010 – Whistling Straits
Tom Lehman, the winner of the 1996 Open Championship, had the insane backdrop of the water at Whistling Straits 17th hole while he hit a hole in one at the 2010 PGA Championship. The American golfer would finish T14.
Tim Clark – 2013 – Oak Hill
A veteran South African player with two PGA Tour wins and top-5 finishes at the Masters, PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, Clark had a hole in one during the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, achieving the feat on the 220 yard 11th hole.
Joost Luinen – 2017 – Quail Hollow
Dutch player Joost Luinen had his best majors finish at the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, and had another impressive moment in 2017 when he aced the fourth hole at Quail Hollow. it wouldn’t be enough as he failed to make the cut.
Matt Wallace – 2018 – Bellerieve
English golfer Matt Wallace had a great moment at the 2018 PGA Championship, acing the 16th hole in the second round and finishing T19. He would be even better at the event in 2019, finishing the tournament in a career majors-best third place tie.
Lucas Bjerregaard – 2019 – Bethpage Black
Dane Lucas Bjerregaard plays mostly on the European and Nordic Golf Tours, but he does play in a major when he qualifies. That was the case at the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black where he finished T16 and hit a hole-in-one on the 17th hole in the fourth round.
Byeong Hun An – 2020 – TPC Harding Park
A South Korean player who won the U.S. Amatuer at 17, Byeong Hun An has bounced around the professional golf tours for years, winning two PGA events. He had a memorable hole-in-one at the 2020 PGA Championship, playing in front of an empty course due to COVID restrictions.
Michael Block – 2023 – Oak Hill
Michael Block was easily the best story of the 2023 PGA Championship. The 46-year-old club professional was the setimental crowd favorite and they erupted in the second round when he aced the 15th hole in the final round and finished T15.
Sebastian Soderberg – 2024 – Valhalla
While he played his college golf at Coastal Carolina University, Sebastian Soderberg has spent much of his career on the European and Challenge Tours. He was only playing in his second ever major at the U.S. Open in 2024 when he aced the eighth hole at Valhalla.
