Every hole-in-one at the Masters and how they happened

Every hole-in-one at the Masters and how they happened

Across the 87 editions of the Masters there have been 34 hole-in-ones recorded – let’s take a look at them all!

The first Masters was played in 1934, and it has been played every year since, barring 1943 – 1945 when the event was canceled due to WWII. Over those 90 years, patrons have been treated to 34 hole-in-ones. The first of which came in the inaugural event on hole 16 and the latest hole-in-one was achieved on the same hole in 2022.

No player has ever managed to record more than one hole-in-one at the Masters – I suppose it’s impressive enough having one at Augusta National! Surely there’s no such thing as a hole-in-one curse? However, no one who’s scored a hole-in-one on any of the four days of the tournament has gone on to win that year.

Maybe I’m clutching at straws… Four Masters Champions have recorded a hole-in-one at Augusta, just not in the years they won the Green Jacket and everything else that comes with winning the Masters.

You might be wondering, what do the players receive for scoring a hole-in-one? Since 1954, players have been presented with a large crystal bowl for their achievement. It may not sound like much compared to the prize money up for grabs if you win the Masters – but it’s a pretty cool ornament to have on your mantelpiece.

The prizes for a hole-in-one are only awarded for an ace that’s made during competition play. Unfortunately, Sepp Straka wasn’t awarded anything for his hole-in-one on hole 12 in 2023 – the first one seen since 1988 – and neither was Jon Rahm for his sensational efforts on the 16th hole in 2020.

Also, any hole-in-ones recorded in the par-3 contest aren’t rewarded. Sadly Seamus Power didn’t receive anything for his back-to-back hole-in-ones in 2023, and all Tony Finau got in 2018 was a dislocated Ankle. Aces are fired in year after year on the par-3 course, in total 107 have been made since the contest began in 1960, with a record nine being scored in 2016. There must have been something in the air that year…

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the skilled (or lucky) golfers who’ve landed a hole-in-one at the Masters…

No.1 – Ross Somerville, 1934, hole 16

It didn’t take too long before Augusta National witnessed the first ace at the Masters. Ross Somerville carded the first-ever hole-in-one in Masters history in the inaugural event on the 16th hole, which in 1934 was the 7th. Somerville hit his tee shot on the 145-yard par-3 with a mashie niblick, equivalent to a modern-day 7-iron.

No.2 – Willie Goggin, 1935, hole 16

As the old cliche goes – no one ever remembers who came second. However, we do! The second person to score an ace in the Masters was Willie Goggin. The American achieved his hole-in-one on what was the 145-yard par-3 7th hole the year before but in 1935 it became the 16th hole after the two nines were switched. Goggin watched his ball drop to the bottom of the cup after teeing off with a spade mashie, equivalent to a modern-day 6-iron.

No.3 – Ray Billows, 1940, hole 16

Augusta National had to wait five years before seeing the third ace being struck at the Masters, and it was carded by Ray Billows. By this time, the 16th hole must have been getting a reputation as the ‘hole-in-hole hole’ because this was the third hole-in-one scored at the Masters and the third on the 16th hole. Billows hit an 8-iron from 145 yards on the famous par-3.

No.4 – Claude Harmon, 1947, hole 12

In 1947, the first hole-in-one was scored away from the 16th hole. Claude Harmon was the first golfer to record an ace on the 12th hole at Augusta National. The famous par-3 in Amen Corner is a treacherous hole that hasn’t always looked the way it does today, but a hole-in-one on Golden Bell is something you’ll never forget. Harmon posted his ace after hitting a 7-iron off the tee with the hole measuring 155 yards.

No.5 – John Dawson, 1949, hole 16

Back to the 16th hole for the fifth hole-in-one in Master’s history. Amateur, John Dawson, carded an ace during the 1949 Masters tournament which was the first year a Green Jacket was awarded to the winner. While Dawson may not have been fortunate to have won that year, he did land a hole-in-one from 190 yards with a 4-iron.

No.6 – Leland Gibson, 1954, hole 6

In 1954, the patrons were treated to two hole-in-ones, both of which came on the same hole. The first ace scored at the 1954 Masters tournament was by Leland Gibson. Not only was this the first year two hole-in-ones were recorded in the same Masters tournament, but it was also the first time an eagle was scored on the par-3 6th hole. Gibson hit a 4-iron from 190 yards to hole out on the par-3.

No.7 – Billy Joe Patton, 1954, hole 6

When Billy Joe Patton found the bottom of the cup on the 6th hole at Augusta National he was bidding to become the first amateur to win the tournament. No amateur has ever won the Masters, but Patton was in a brilliant position to win in 1954. The American was leading after the first two rounds and in a tie for third heading into Sunday. After firing in an ace on the par-3 6th hole with a 5-iron from 190 yards, Patton must have been dreaming of throwing on the Green Jacket.

No.8 – William Hyndman, 1959, hole 12

The eighth hole-in-one in Masters history was scored on the 12th hole, and it’s the last ace ever to be recorded by an amateur at the Masters. William Hyndman became the fifth amateur to hole out from the tee box on a par-3 at Augusta National and he was only the eighth golfer to card an ace in the Masters. Hyndman found the bottom of the cup with a 6-iron from 155 yards on Golden Bell.

No.9 – Clive Clark, 1968, hole 16

Nineteen years on from the previous hole-in-one on the 16th hole, Clive Clark was able to produce some Masters magic and record the ninth ace in Masters history. Clark holds the record for the strongest-lofted club being used to score a hole-in-one at the Masters. The Englishman teed off from the 190-yard par-3 with a 2-iron and became the first golfer to have their hole-in-one at the Masters caught on film.

No.10 – Charles Coody, 1972, hole 6

Charles Coody was the first Masters winner to card a hole-in-one at Augusta National. Coody won the 1971 Masters, and one year later he scored an ace on the par-3 6th hole. The American achieved his hole-in-one by hitting a 5-iron from 190 yards.

No.11 – Curtis Strange, 1988, hole 12

After a 16-year hole-in-one drought at Augusta National, Curtis Strange finally scored the eleventh ace at the Masters. Strange’s hole-in-one was achieved on the 12th hole where he hit a 7-iron 155 yards to the bottom of the cup. Perhaps most surprisingly he proceeded to pick his ball out of the hole and throw it straight into Rae’s Creek. It’s the most recent hole-in-one seen on Golden Bell. If there’s an ace scored on hole 12 in 2024 it will be the first hole-in-one carded on that hole in 36 years.

No.12 – Jeff Sluman, 1992, hole 4

Jeff Sluman has achieved something no other golfer ever has – an ace on the 4th hole at Augusta National in the Masters. For his efforts not only is he the only golfer to have carded an eagle on the first par-3 on the course, but he’s also the proud owner of a Guinness World Record – The longest hole-in-one in the golf US Masters history. Unfortunately, Sluman’s shot wasn’t televised but we know he hit a 4-iron from 213 yards, and as they say, the rest is history.

No.13 – Corey Pavin, 1992, hole 16

Unlucky for some, but not for Corey Pavin, who hit the thirteenth hole-in-one in Masters history just a day after Jeff Sluman potted one. The Friday pin position on the 16th hole isn’t the friendliest, but it didn’t make any difference for Pavin who slam-dunked it from 140 yards with an 8-iron.

No.14 – Raymond Floyd, 1996, hole 16

Twenty years on from his Masters victory, Raymond Floyd was playing in his 32nd Masters when he found the bottom of the cup on the 16th hole on Sunday. Floyd played the hole beautifully by sending his ball up to the top portion of the green and letting it feed down to the hole – it was almost as though he knew it would do that! The American became the fourteenth player to record an ace in the Masters and he did it with a 5-iron from 182 yards.

No.15 – Chris DiMarco, 2004, hole 6

The first hole-in-one after the turn of the century came at the 2004 Masters and it was achieved by Chris DiMarco at the 6th hole. After starting his tournament with five consecutive pars, DiMarco fired one straight at the pin on the 198-yard par-3 with a 5-iron and he watched it drop to the bottom of the cup. Despite there being an eight-year gap between DiMarco’s hole-in-one and Floyd’s, the wait wasn’t too long for the next one… or two…

No.16 – Padraig Harrington, 2004, hole 16

Sunday at the Masters is always an exciting day, but the patrons were in for a real treat on Sunday at the 2004 Masters. It might not have been as impressive as Tiger Woods’ display at 16 – wait that hasn’t happened yet! Padraig Harrington stepped onto the 16th tee with a 6-iron ready to conquer the 177-yard par-3 – and conquer it he did. His ball trundled down the bank and fell into the hole. Surely this is all the excitement the patrons needed in 2004?

No.17 – Kirk Triplett, 2004, hole 16

Kirk Triplett was playing in the pairing behind Padraig Harrington and he treated the patrons to another hole-in-one on the 16th – you couldn’t write it! The shot was also an exact carbon copy of Harrington’s. Triplett hit a 6-iron from 177 yards, it fed down off the hill and made its way to the bottom of the cup. Nothing could top this for drama on 16… could it?

No.18 – Trevor Immelman, 2005, hole 16

One year on from lightning striking twice on hole 16 at the 2004 Masters, and we’re back again, this time with future Masters Champion, Trevor Immelman. The pin was in its usual position and Immelman hit his tee shot with a 7-iron right of the pin and let it feed down perfectly to the hole some 177 yards away from the tee markers. At the time this was probably Immelman’s greatest Masters memory, little did he know he would be back three years later to claim the Green Jacket.

Later that day, in the final pairing, Tiger Woods eclipsed Immelman’s achievements. While it wasn’t a hole-in-one, Woods’ chip-in from being past, and below the pin, created a roar that perhaps hasn’t been heard again on hole 16 and went down as one of the greatest Masters memories – I’m sure Immelman won’t have minded because he had his day in 2008.

No.19 – Ian Poulter, 2008, hole 16

Special delivery from the Postman! In the opening round of the 2008 Masters, Ian Poulter in his lime green trousers, and matching visor, carded an ace on the 16th hole. Poulter played his shot out to the right with an 8-iron and let it feed down to the pin that was 169 yards away from the tee box. Poulter became the first Englishman in forty years to score a hole-in-one in the Masters since Clive Clark in 1968.

No.20 – Nathan Green, 2010, hole 16

Despite being 15-over-par with only three holes to play in the 2010 Masters, Nathan Green wasn’t going down without a fight, and he landed one of the biggest blows that year with an ace on hole 16. Augusta National might have had the last laugh when Green bogeyed the seventeenth, but you can’t take away the Australian’s famous hole-in-one that was seen all over the world. Green played the hole to perfection with a 6-iron from 176 yards.

No.21 – Ryan Moore, 2010, hole 16

Another hole-in-one was witnessed later that day on hole 16, this time by a fresh-faced Ryan Moore. The American stepped up to the tee, wearing his cardigan and green tie, with a 7-iron in hand that he landed short of the pin and let it roll back and down the hill to the hole the ball ultimately finished and Moore was able to walk off the 176-yard par-3 with an ace at the Masters.

No.22 – Adam Scott, 2012, hole 16

Another Sunday at the Masters, and another hole-in-one on the 16th. This time it was the turn of another future Masters Champion, Adam Scott. The Australian had come close to a hole-in-one the year before, but in 2012 he made no mistakes (even if his ball was dangerously close to the water). Rather than taking his ball up to right hand side of the green and letting it feed down to the pin, Scott took aim straight at the pin with a 7-iron from 202 yards, the first bounce was in the rough but that had no impact on the end result. One year later, Scott returned to Augusta National and left a Masters Champion.

No.23 – Bo Van Pelt, 2012, hole 16

That very same day, Bo Van Pelt stepped onto the 16th tee box with a 6-iron in hand and set his ball off on a much safer line, letting it trickle down the hill and having it nestle at the bottom of the cup from 202 yards away. A very different shot to Scott’s but the same end result (insert Happy Gilmore reference).

No.24 – Jamie Donaldson, 2013, hole 6

When Jamie Donaldson scored an ace at the par-3 6th hole in the 2013 Masters it was the first hole-in-one away from the 16th in nine years and there had been eight hole-in-ones between. Donaldson’s hole-in-one came in the first round of the competition and it went in almost the same way as DiMarco’s did, who had the last hole-in-one on the 6th hole. However, the Welshman played a 7-iron from 177 yards, some 21 yards shorter than when DiMarco played the hole.

No.25 – Shane Lowry, 2016, hole 16

Back to the 16th hole for the 16th hole-in-one on hole 16 at the 2016 Masters. Shane Lowry hadn’t had much luck before he fired in an ace on the 16th on Sunday. Lowry stepped onto the 16th tee box 12-over-par but he would soon forget about his score as he held his tee shot with an 8-iron from 181 yards and created a Masters memory he’ll never forget. *Open floodgates*.

No.26 – Davis Love III, 2016, hole 16

Not much longer after the crowd had settled on 16 did Davis Love III come to the tee. Armed with a 7-iron Love III fired his tee shot at the target and created pandemonium once again on the 16th hole as his ball followed Lowry’s to the bottom of the cup. Surely there wouldn’t be another hole-in-one on the 16th hole at the 2016 Masters…

No.27 – Louis Oosthuizen, 2016, hole 16

*Enter Louis Oosthuizen*. The South Africans performed the unimaginable, the unthinkable, and the patrons absolutely loved it! Everybody remembers the scenes of that Masters Sunday in 2005, as they do that Masters Sunday in 2016 – the one where not one person had a hole-in-one, not two people scored a hole-in-one, but where three people carded a hole-in-one, all on the same hole.

The third and final ace at the 2016 Masters looked likely from the minute it landed on the green, but when Oosthuizen’s ball struck his playing partners it looked unlikely, but as the ball regained momentum it looked likely once more. Oosthuizen was stunned to have seen his ball be obstructed but still make its way to the bottom of the cup on the 181-yard par-3, and he did it all with just one swish of a 7-iron.

No.28 – Matt Kuchar, 2017, hole 16

One year on from the absolute madness we had witnessed the year before and the players were at it again, this time it was Matt Kuchar who fired in a hole-in-one on the 16th hole. Kuchar’s ball landed just over the water, took a big bounce up the hill and past the hole, but with the help of his trusted assistant – gravity – the pair were able to get the ball to nestle in the cup and the American walked away with an ace on the 180-yard par-3 without needing to pull any other club than a 7-iron.

No.29 – Charley Hoffman, 2018, hole 16

Another Masters, another hole-in-one on the 16th hole. In the final round of the 2018 Masters, Charley Hoffman set up on the 16th tee with a 6-iron in hand. The American’s tee shot was probably further left than he would have liked, but thanks to a favorable bounce, his ball landed below the hole and kicked up towards the pin. Hoffman’s ball shooter off in exactly the right direction for it to sink to the bottom of the cup on the 178-yard par-3.

No.30 – Bryson DeChambeau, 2019, hole 16

Yet again, we’re back to the 16th hole for another hole-in-one at the Masters. Bryson DeChambeau hit his first ever hole-in-one and the 21st on the 16th hole in Masters history on Sunday at Augusta in 2019. DeChambeau had started his final round from the 10th tee – the original first tee in 1934 – so his 7th hole was the par-3, on which he played a 7-iron high of the hole purposefully to allow gravity to take over and send the ball to the bottom of the cup 170 yards away.

No.31 – Justin Thomas, 2019, hole 16

Later that day in 2019, Justin Thomas stood on the 16th tee with his playing partners – Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson. Rahm’s ball was tucked in nicely next to the pin, but, of course, Thomas could do better. The American, like plenty we’ve seen before on this hole, played his tee shot out to the right and watched his ball trickle down the hill and disappear behind Rahm’s tee shot into the hole. Thomas hit an 8-iron from 170 yards – I wonder if he’d still be club weaker than DeChambeau?

No.32 – Tommy Fleetwood, 2021, hole 16

In the opening round of the 2021 Masters, Tommy Fleetwood banked the 32nd hole-in-one in Masters history. The Englishman was playing alongside Scottie Scheffler and his ball flew straight over the top of Scheffler’s bang on line with the pin, took a couple of hops, bundled into the flagstick, and dropped to the bottom of the cup. Fleetwood made his ace by hitting a 9-iron into the 170-yard par-3.

No.33 – Corey Conners, 2021, hole 6

After eight consecutive hole-in-ones on hole 16 at the Masters it was time for an ace on hole 6. The previous hole-in-one on the 6th hole was posted by Jamie Donaldson in 2013 (there were eight hole-in-ones on 16 between his and DiMarco’s in 2004). Corey Conners hit an 8-iron into the 182-yard par-3 and he judged it to perfection to become the first Canadian to have scored an ace at the Masters since Ross Somerville in 1934.

No.34 – Stewart Cink, 2022, hole 16

Here we go, the most recent hole-in-one in Masters history. Stewart Cink is the latest golfer to have fired in an ace at Augusta National, he did it in the second round of the 2022 Masters on the 16th hole. Cink hit his tee shot to the right portion of the green, it rolled down the hill and nestled in the hole. Will we see the 35th hole-in-one at the 2024 Masters?

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About the author

James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer

James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.

He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.

James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.

You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.