It didn’t take long for the PGA Championship 2025 to deliver its first moment of brilliance. On Thursday afternoon at Quail Hollow Club, American Eric Cole made tournament headlines with a perfectly struck 7-iron on the 184-yard par-3 4th hole – his 13th of the day.
Cole’s tee shot pitched just short of the flagstick, bounced twice on the elevated green, and rolled cleanly into the cup. Initially frozen in disbelief, the 36-year-old quickly turned to celebrate as cheers erupted from the gallery and his playing partners.
Momentum shift after a shaky start at the PGA Championship 2025
Cole’s front nine had been less than ideal. After beginning the round on the 10th tee and reaching the turn at one under, the Californian stumbled with a bogey at the 1st and a costly double bogey on the par-4 2nd. But the ace at No. 4 provided immediate redemption — and a serious momentum swing.
The hole-in-one vaulted Cole from 92nd to T49 on the leaderboard, bringing him back to even par and right into the conversation early in the week at Quail Hollow.
First hole-in-one of the PGA Championship 2025
The PGA Championship’s official X (formerly Twitter) account was quick to capture the moment:
🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025
Eric Cole makes a hole-in-one from 184 yards on the 4th hole. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/aSLMouOMdT