Hayden Buckley makes hole-in-one on 17th at PLAYERS Championship in iconic moment

While the four majors get all the glory, the Par 3 17th at The PLAYERS Championship is the most iconic hole in all of golf.

Believe it or, No. 18 at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most difficult holes on the PGA Tour. But it doesn’t get near the recognition as No. 17. With the PLAYERS Championship getting underway this week, all eyes will be on the 17th green throughout the tournament.

Hayden Buckley has already given the fans in Florida something to cheer for. The 27-year-old flew his shot onto the green at No. 17 and it had just the right amount of backspin. Buckley’s shot rolled backward and dropped into the cup for a hole-in-one.

Buckley was just coming off a par at No. 16 and that eagle on the 17th got him to -3 for the tournament. Buckley, who started his day on No. 10, closed out his front nine with a score of 32. But the Tennessee native collapsed on the back nine to post a score of (+1) 73.

The PLAYERS Championship: How many holes in one have been made at the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass?

Hayden Buckley actually became just the 11th golfer to ever register a hole-in-one on No. 17 at TPC in professional play. In fact, there’ve been four aces at No. 17 over the past six years with Shane Lowry scoring an eagle at the Par 3 just last year.

So who else has holed out from the tee at No. 17? I’m glad you asked. Brad Fabel did it in 1986 and Brian Claar did so in 1991. Everyone’s favorite golfer Freddy Couples recorded an ace at the 17th back in 1997 and Joey Sindelar did the same two years later.

NBC Sports broadcaster Paul Azinger will be on the call when the PLAYERS Championship enters the weekend, and the former Ryder Cup captain knows all too well what it feels like to hit an ace at No. 17. He did so back in 2000.

Miguel Angel Jimenez put it in the cup with just one shot on the 17th during the 2002 PLAYERS Championship. Will Wilcox did it in 2016 as did Sergio Garcia in 2017. Ryan Moore hit a hole-in-one in 2019, and the aforementioned Shane Lowry was the last player to do it until Hayden Buckley today.