Watch: Hovland Makes An Albatross (Sort Of)?

When is an albatross not an albatross? Viktor Hovland did something in the Thursday practice round that very few golfers could ever claim to have done. On the par-4 5th, a hole of 302 yards, he knocked a 3-wood straight into the hole.

Only it wasn't quite a hole-in-one as he had already played a tee shot, which finished in the rough, and he was having another pop at the green. There were already three balls on the green and fairly close but the Norwegian's effort couldn't have been any more spectacular - cue huge celebrations with Matt Fitzpatrick jumping on his back and the matches hadn't even begun.

The quartet of Hovland, Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg didn't see the ball disappear but the reaction around the green told them everything.

Hovland is one of the best drivers in the game, ranking fifth on the PGA Tour in Total Driving, and he will be a key component if Europe are to regain the Ryder Cup this week. Last time around at Whistling Straits he played in all five sessions, going 0-3-2.

There have been six holes-in-one in the history of the Ryder Cup – Peter Butler (1973), Sir Nick Faldo (1993), Costantino Rocca (1995), Howard Clark (1995), Paul Casey (2006) and Scott Verplank (2006).

But, incredibly, there has only been one ace on a par 4 on the PGA Tour. That honour belongs to Andrew Magee who holed out at the 2001 Phoenix Open.

🚨 VIKTOR HOVLAND MAKES A HOLE-IN-ONE ON A PAR 4! #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/OnsEG19UC6

— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 28, 2023