Here in the video

Hole-in-one! Sepp Straka impresses at the US Open

Sepp Straka(Bild: 2024 Getty Images)

Sepp Straka enjoyed a career highlight at the US Open in Pinehurst! Austria's golfing figurehead made a hole-in-one for the first time on the PGA Tour.

The 31-year-old needed just one instead of the course handicap of three strokes on the ninth hole - only Peter Jacobsen (2005) and Zach Johnson (2014) had previously achieved this feat in the same place at the US Open. It was the first time in the current tournament that a player had finished a hole on the first attempt.

Straka drops back to a tie for 27th place
Straka still had to accept a drop to 27th place after a two-over-par round of 72. Nevertheless, the Viennese made the cut with ease. He is three strokes behind the top 10 at the halfway stage, while the leading Swede Ludvig Aberg is seven ahead of him with a total of 135 or five under par.

Here is the video of the sensational shot:

"Yeah, seven-iron, perfect number for me!"
After the rare feat, Straka threw his arms around the neck of his US colleague J.T. Poston and clapped his caddie Duane Bock. "Yeah, seven-iron, perfect number for me," said Straka. Poston is one of his best friends on the tour. "He was also there when I scored my 'ace' in Augusta at the par-three contest. The celebrations were a bit better this time," said the University of Georgia graduate.

Overall, however, Straka played a mixed round, including a triple bogey in the early stages, which saw him slip back from 16th place. However, he should be able to improve on his best US Open result - he was tied 28th in 2019. He missed the cut in the past two years.

Aberg (135) goes into the weekend as the narrow leader, just one stroke ahead of Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay (both USA) and Thomas Detry (BEL). Lurking a further stroke behind are Rory McIlroy (NIR), Tony Finau (USA) and Matthieu Pavon (FRA). Tiger Woods (USA) missed the cut with 147 or seven over par.