As Rory McIlroy (37, Northern Ireland) aims for back-to-back victories at the 90th Masters, his close friend Shane Lowry (39, Ireland) has joined the championship race with a hole-in-one.
Lowry shot 4-under 68 in the third round at Augusta National Golf Club (par 72) in Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, moving into solo fourth place at 9-under 207. He trails co-leaders McIlroy and Cameron Young (USA), both at 11-under, by two strokes.
The 2019 Open Championship winner recorded a spectacular hole-in-one on the 6th hole (par 3). His 7-iron shot from 190 yards landed about 3 meters short of the hole before rolling in. Lowry let out a roar and received congratulations from playing partner Tommy Fleetwood (England).
It was a historic moment as Lowry became the first player to record two holes-in-one at Augusta. After his first career hole-in-one at the 16th hole (par 3) during the final round of the 2016 Masters, Lowry added his second Masters ace and fifth career PGA Tour hole-in-one. No player had previously recorded two holes-in-one at the Masters.
It was the 35th hole-in-one in Masters history, the first since Stewart Cink's ace on the 16th hole during the second round in 2022, and the seventh ever on the 6th hole.
What makes Lowry's achievement remarkable is the significance of his holes-in-one. Beyond Augusta National, he has conquered two of golf's most famous par-3 holes. In 2022, he aced the iconic island green 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass during the Players Championship, and in 2024, he holed out on the Pacific Ocean-backdrop 7th hole at Pebble Beach during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Two years later, he added another ace at the "dream stage" of the Masters, a decade after his first. Most recently, he recorded one at the 2nd hole at Memorial Park during the final round of last month's Texas Children's Houston Open.
When asked about the secret to his holes-in-one, Lowry replied, "I don't know. Maybe it's my aggressive playing style?" He then repeated "I don't know" several more times.
