“I was eight” – When AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am hole-in-one hero Rory McIlroy recalled his first-ever ace

On Thursday, January 30, Rory McIlroy sank an ace during the opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. This was his second hole-in-one on the PGA Tour.

While McIlroy's first professional ace didn’t come long ago, his first ace actually happened when he was not even ten years old. The interesting story behind that ace is that nobody saw him make it, but everyone believed what he said.

On Thursday, Kevin Van Valkenburg of No Laying Up shared an excerpt from an old article about McIlroy’s first ace. In the excerpt, the four-time major champion said he would prefer to make one hole-in-one while playing with his friend rather than 20 in front of no one. He was then asked if anyone would believe his claim of making 20 aces.

"My first hole in one, I was actually playing by myself," McIlroy told No Laying Up. "I went running back up to the clubhouse at Holywood Golf Club to tell everyone."

He then revealed that everyone admitted to his claim. When asked about his age when he achieved this feat, he replied,

"I was eight,"

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How did Rory McIlroy perform at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Round 2?

Rory McIlroy reacts after missing his putt on the 17th hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Image Source: Imagn)

Rory McIlroy had quite an unusual day at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, as his performance swung between two extremes in the second round. He started impressively with four birdies on the front nine. However, on the back nine, his momentum was nullified by four bogeys. Thanks to an eagle on the 18th hole, he finished the round at 2-under 70.

After the second round, Rory McIlroy is at 8-under and tied for 15th, six strokes off the lead. Sepp Straka continued his strong form, firing another 65 to sit at 14-under after 36 holes. Russel Henley (69) and Cameron Davis (68) are tied for second at three strokes back.

McIlroy is tied with Rasmus Højgaard and Collin Morikawa for the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The trio will tee off on Saturday, February 1, from the first tee at 12:40 p.m. ET.

The third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will begin at 11:12 a.m. ET, with Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, and Maverick McNealy teeing off from the first hole. Simultaneously, Davis Thompson, Thomas Detry, and Corey Conners will begin from the tenth tee.