Amateur Golfer Scores Rare Hole-in-One At Masters Tournament

A 24-year-old amateur golfer stunned spectators at the Masters Tournament on Sunday by sinking a hole-in-one on Augusta National's iconic 16th hole. The shot marked the first ace at the 2026 tournament and only the 34th in Masters history.

The crowd erupted as Jake Reynolds' 8-iron shot from 170 yards landed perfectly on the green and rolled straight into the cup. The Georgia Tech graduate was competing in his first Masters after winning last year's U.S. Amateur Championship.

Hole-in-ones remain exceptionally rare in professional golf, occurring approximately once every 3,500 attempts on the PGA Tour. The 16th hole at Augusta has yielded more aces than any other hole in Masters history, with this being the 23rd recorded there since 1947.

Tournament officials confirmed Reynolds will receive the traditional crystal bowl awarded for holes-in-one during competition. The moment trended across social media platforms Sunday afternoon, with the Masters' official Twitter account posting a slow-motion replay that garnered over 2 million views in three hours.

Golf analysts noted the shot's perfect execution under tournament pressure. Reynolds, who was 4-over par at the time, told reporters afterward: "I just tried to make solid contact and let the slope do the work. When the crowd went crazy, I couldn't believe it actually went in."

The Masters continues through Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Reynolds' ace helped him finish the third round at 2-over par, though he remains well behind the leaders in the amateur competition.