The 2023 Open Championship is being held between July 20 to 23 at the Royal Liverpool Club in Hoylake, England. With a talented field of 156-golfers, the technique and play this weekend will be rather exceptional.
The Open has had a long history of records and incredible championship battles. A hole-in-one is always special, regardless of what course it is played on or what tournament it occurs during. However, a hole-in-one during a major is all the more memorable.
Here are the top 10 aces at the Open Championship:
The top 10 aces at the Open Championship
#1 The first ever hole-in-one at the Open Championship
The first ever recorded hole-in-one at the Open was in 1869 by Tommy Morris Jr. He holed his first tee shot on the 8th hole during the first round and also went on to win the Open. Morris Jr. also became the youngest golfer ever to compete at the Open when he made the cut back in 1865 at the age of 14.
#2 Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen had a hole-in-one on the 14th hole of the Royal Troon golf club at the 2016 Open. While he missed the cut, his 176-yard long ace was well remembered. Coincidentally, Oosthuizen also made an ace at the Masters in the same year.
#3 Emiliano Grillo
Emiliano Grillo's 200-yard ace at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2019 is the most recent recorded ace at the Open Championship. He shot it on the 13th hole during the first round.
#4 Gene Sarazen
Late golfer Gene Sarazen is quite well known for completing the career grand slam and winning the majors seven times. He was 71-years-old when he holed out the 8th hole the Royal Troon Golf club in 1973.
#5 Pierre Fulke, Daniel Olsson and Dennis Edlund
Pierre Fulke, Daniel Olsson and Dennis Edlund- all Swedish golfers- hit a hole-in-one on the 16th hole at the 1997 Open Championship on the 16th hole.
#6 Frank Lickliter II- Longest hole-in-one
Frank Lickliter II recorded the longest ace at an Open Championship, when he holed out the 5th hole at the Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2001.
#7 Ernie Els- Shortest hole-in-one
Ernie Els has recorded the shortest ever hole-in-one at the 2004 Open, sitting at just 124-yards- once again at the Royal Troon.
#8 Paul McGinely- Two aces at the Open
Paul McGinely is the only golfer to have recorded two aces at the Open. He shot the first ace at Muirfield in 1992 and then just four years later he recorded the second ace at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
#9 Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson aced the 16th hole at the 2011 Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. He finished second at the major that year.
#10 Tom Watson
Tom Watson aced the 6th hole at the 2011 Open at the age of 61. A crowd favorite, Watson received quite the celebration for the hole-in-one that year.