PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Drinks are on Hayden Buckley on Thursday.
The 27-year-old pro aced the iconic par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass and then celebrated with gusto.
Starting on the back nine and playing in just the second group of the day to step to the water-guarded par 3 in the opening round of the 2023 Players Championship, Buckley chose a pitching wedge with just 125 yards to the front-hole location. His shot landed just right of the hole, bounced once and then spun back into the cup.
“I’m so sorry for my squeak. Holy cow,” said Christina Kim on PGA Tour Live. “Oh, I want to see that again.”
Don’t we all.
BUCKETS FOR BUCKLEY!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 9, 2023
Buckley threw his hat in the air, pumped his fists, screamed, “C’mon!” and tossed his club as he slapped hands with pros Adam Long and Taylor Montgomery.
One year after Shane Lowry aced the hole in the third round, Buckley became the 10th player to do so since 1991:
2023: Hayden Buckley, 1st round
2022: Shane Lowry, 3rd round
2019: Ryan Moore, 1st round
2017: Sergio Garcia, 1st round
2016: Willy Wilcox, 2nd round
2002: Miguel Angel Jimenez, 1st round
2000: Paul Azinger, 3rd round
1999: Joey Sindelar, 1st round
1997: Fred Couples, final round
1991: Brian Claar, 3rd round
Buckley, a former walk-on at Missouri, finished second at the Sony Open at Hawaii, his best career finish on the PGA Tour, but entered the Players having missed his last three cuts.