Joe Highsmith became the first PGA Tour player on record to secure three aces in a single season during round two of the Wyndham Championship on Saturday.
The left-handed player - who only turned pro in 2022 and earned PGA Tour status at the end of last year through the Korn Ferry Tour - saw his tee shot slowly roll in from the centre of the green at Sedgefield Country Club's 12th hole.
Discussing his most-recent ace, the Pepperdine University alumni said: "Yeah, it was super cool. I hit 6-iron and it was kind of a perfect number. I knew if I pulled it long right that I had a little backstop over there. It worked out perfect.
"I don't know why I had like a weird thought before I hit it that I was going to make a hole-in-one."
That moment of magic followed on from his previous hole-in-ones this term, with the first arriving at the 13th during round two of the American Express back in January and the second taking place at the fifth during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June.
ANOTHER HOLE-IN-ONE 🤯Rookie @JoeHighsmith33 becomes first TOUR player on record with three aces in a season!(Presented by @CocaCola) pic.twitter.com/IE94TJtT6cAugust 10, 2024
Helpfully, both scores ensured Highsmith made the cut in what has been a tough debut campaign at the top level. He has made seven cuts from 19 starts and sits 158th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Reacting to his achievement, the 24-year-old - who claims to have 18 career aces - said: "Super cool, yeah. Obviously it doesn't really mean much, but it's really cool to be the first to do that.
"I know I've seen Brian Harman made two in one round, that's pretty crazy. Yeah, to be the record holder I guess for most holes-in-one in a season is pretty cool."
Highsmith was not the only player to record an ace at the 12th on Saturday, however, as Lucas Glover eagled the par 3 just hours earlier. The experienced American had less room to celebrate though as he missed the cut and will not take part in what could be a jam-packed Sunday of golf.
The Wyndham Championship - which has been heavily disrupted by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby already - was yet to complete round two on Sunday morning and could see the eventual winner play almost 40 holes in a matter of hours.
A sign warning against impending stormy weather at the 2024 Wyndham Championship
The PGA Tour says there "is a chance" the final tournament of the regular season could still end on Sunday night, with third-round tee times scheduled for 7:50am to 9:40am ET once the remaining 22 golfers have finished round two.
Players will not re-group between rounds three and four in a bid to speed up the process, and if the pace of play is fast enough, the champion may be crowned in fading light at Sedgefield Country Club this weekend.
