On Friday morning, Sepp Straka experienced a true magic moment at the US Open 2024 on Pinehurst No. 2. With a hole-in-one, the Austrian catapulted himself into the headlines and brought smiles to the faces of the spectators.
A Early Setback at the US Open 2024
The Friday could have started better for Straka. On the third hole, his second shot bounced off the flagstick and landed in the bunker. What followed was a painful triple-bogey that set him back to three over par—a tough blow for the usually confident player.
The Magical Moment on the Ninth Hole
But then came the moment that changed everything. On the ninth hole, a 177-yard par-3, Straka showed his full class. The 31-year-old hit his tee shot perfectly onto the green—about 26 feet from the pin—and the ball rolled straight into the hole as if by magic. Straka celebrated the first hole-in-one of this year’s US Open together with his caddie Duane Bock and American playing partners JT Poston and Peter Malnati.
A Special Entry in History
With this ace, Straka joins the few players who have achieved a hole-in-one on the ninth hole of Pinehurst No. 2. Before him, only Peter Jacobsen (2005) and Zach Johnson (2014) managed this feat.
The Road to the Cut
The hole-in-one brought Straka back into the tournament, as he was previously within range of the cut. In his career, Straka has already celebrated successes, including victories at the 2022 Honda Classic and the 2023 John Deere Classic. His best result at a major so far was a tied second place at last year’s British Open.