Jon Rahm hit an unbelievable shot during a Tuesday practice round at the Masters: a hole-in-one that he skipped over water on purpose.
Playing the par-3 16th at Augusta National during Masters practice rounds is a highlight for competitors in the field. A tradition has been established that players drop a ball just in front of the water hazard running the full length of the approach shot, hitting the ball low and trying to skip it across the water and running the ball on the green. Just getting to the green is a tremendous feat and usually draws a lot of applause from Masters patrons.
Rahm took it a step further on Tuesday while practicing with Rickie Fowler, hitting an astounding shot with a 4-iron that skipped on the surface of the water several times and rolled up onto the green of the 170-yard hole with enough energy to roll from the front of the green to nearly the back fringe. The ball then followed the break of the green, down the traditionally used slope that fed the ball all the way into the hole for a mind-blowing ace.
His second in two days, Jon Rahm skips his way to a hole-in-one at No. 16 - on his birthday, no less. #themasters pic.twitter.com/rtefAN5XtH
— The Masters (@TheMasters) November 10, 2020
Unfortunately, without patrons there to witness it, the expected explosion of applause wasn't there, but that didn't mean it wasn't just as great for the former world No. 1.
Rahm high-fived his caddie and celebrated a Masters moment he'll likely never forget. What's even more insane is that this is the second time he's made an ace in as many days, per the Masters. On Monday, Rahm made a hole-in-one on the fourth hole. Today's ace, though, came on his 26th birthday.
And that ball 2 feet from the hole that Rahm's ace ball rolled by? That was Rahm's normal tee shot on the hole.
Who started skipping balls on No. 16 at Augusta National?
The tradition of skipping balls across the water on the 16th at Augusta National in Masters practice rounds started in 1987, when Mark Calcavecchia and Ken Green started doing it. As Calc retold it in 2018, he said Green got a letter from then-Masters chairman Hord Hardin, telling Green that's not done at Augusta National.
Turns out, a tradition was born.
The only other known player to make a hole-in-one on No. 16 after skipping a ball across the water is 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh, who did it in 2009.
