Louis Oosthuizen made one of the quirkiest holes-in-one in major golf history on a final Sunday at the Masters that saw an unprecedented three aces at the 16th hole.
The South African watched playing partner JB Holmes go close at the 170-yard Redbud hole and then saw his own ball trickle down, nudge Holmes' ball billiard-style out of the way, and dive in on the follow-through.
Earlier, Ireland's Shane Lowry and US Davis Cup skipper Davis Love both aced the same hole, one of the best known par-3s in the game.
“I saw my ball pitch in a good spot to have a chance and then I saw JB's ball and I thought, 'Oh, there goes the chance of a one,'“ Oosthuizen said.
“And then I just really watched the crowd and walking up there I could see one was in there obviously really close and the other one is in.
“So I was just hoping that it was my ball that was in and not JB's because then neither of us would have a hole-in-one. He would have had to move his ball back.”
Lowry was first to delight the usual packed galleries around the 16th, his 8-iron tee shot landing center green and taking the slope left to plop into the hole.
Two pairings later, Love followed suit, high-fiving with playing partner Webb Simpson after his perfect 7-iron. It was his first hole-in-one at Augusta National in 20 appearances.
Lowry's was the 16th ace at the 170-yard 16th and came in the year 2016 with Love's the 17th and Oosthuizen sinking the 18th.
“I just hit it in right of the hole and it just took it down in. I feel pretty lucky to have a hole-in-one around this place, in this tournament,” he said.
“I'm sure I'll get a picture somewhere and frame it in the house and it will be nice momento to have.”
Love said that he had heard the roar go up for Lowry's ace before nabbing his own.
“It was a great way to finish my Masters,” he said. “I didn't play well on the weekend, the drive and putter kind of left me today so I was disappointed not to get a run at getting in again next year, but nice way to finish.”
The three aces brought the total number of holes-in-one at the Masters to 27 since the tournament was first played in 1934.
The previous Masters hole-in-one was shot by Welshman Jamie Donaldson at the sixth hole in 2013 and the previous at 16 was by Bo Van Pelt in 2012.
The ace took Lowry to 10-over for the tournament, while Love improved to 11-over.
It was the first time that there had been three aces on the same day, in the same round at the Masters. – AFP