History was made at the Masters on Sunday when three holes-in-one were recorded on No. 16 at Augusta National Golf Club.
The 16th, playing at 170 yards, is typically set up on Sunday with the flag down in a hollow in the green so that tee shots, if landed in the correct area, will funnel toward the pin.
Shane Lowry, Davis Love III and Louis Oosthuizen played it exactly that way on Sunday, each recording an ace. The previous record for aces in a Masters was two, most recently tied in 2012 by Adam Scott and Bo Van Pelt on No. 16.
Each player will receive a large crystal bowl, given by the tournament to those who hit a hole-in-one.
Lowry was the day’s first, done with an 8-iron. He kept the ball after faking throwing it into the gallery.
“It was a fairly easy shot, I felt and I just hit a perfect shot in right at the flag and obviously needed luck to go in the hole,” he said. “I’ll put that picture up in my house and it will be a nice memento to have.”
Love was next two groups later. He hit his tee shot with a 7-iron.
“It was a great way to finish my Masters,” Love said. “I didn’t play well on the weekend, the driver and putter kind of left me today so I was disappointed not to get a run at getting in again next year, but nice way to finish.”
Oosthuizen followed a few groups later. His tee shot with a 7-iron landed in the funneling spot on the green. As it rolled toward the flag, it struck playing partner J.B. Holmes’ ball, which redirected it into the hole.
Oosthuizen said he wasn’t sure whose ball had gone in. He raised both arms into the air when the crowd’s road told him it was his. He said he has seen approach shots bounce off each other on par 4s, but couldn’t remember seeing it happen on 16.
“It was good, the way I played today, nothing was really happening, so it was nice to do that, to just have a bit of a better day,” he said.
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