Watch: Asian Tour Pro's Incredible Slam Dunk Hole-In-One

Stefano Mazzoli made his first ever career hole-in-one in some style, with a slam dunk ace during the International Series Qatar

Stefano Mazzoli smiles while on the golf course during an Asian Tour event
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Not all holes-in-one are the same, as Stefano Mazzoli showed with a glorious slam dunk ace during the third round of the International Series Qatar.

The Italian canned a wedge from the 17th tee at Doha Golf Club to bag the purest hole-in-one you could imagine during the Asian Tour event.

Sometimes getting an ace can have a slice of fortune involved. A ball can bounce off a hill, jump out of some rough or catch a lucky break on the green, while at times players are at the mercy of spin.

Not Mazzoli though, who hit his wedge shot to the exact millimeter as his ball managed to sneak through the gap between flagstick and cup and nestle right into the hole on the full.

It's one of the most magical and pleasing sights in golf, and some way for 28-year-old Mazzoli to land the very first hole-in-one of his career.

“It went straight in and we never saw it again,” said Mazzoli. “Usually, you know it can bounce out and come back, but it was straight in and never moved out of the way.

"After a tough battle on the course today with the wind, I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better finish than this.

"I was already pleased with a birdie on 16 and, I mean, I never had a hole-in-one, so I wasn’t expecting that, for sure and then obviously I got a birdie also on 18.”

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With three top fives from 14 events this season, Mazzoli is in the running for the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year Award - and a good finish in Qatar would certainly help with that.

The hole-in-one helped Mazzoli card a third-round 69 to sit in T3 on nine under, just four shots off leader Peter Uihlein.

Zac Bachou is in second just one stroke behind the American, with India's Gaganjeet Bhullar alongside Mazzoli in third.

The event is the penultimate one of the International Series campaign, which will be completed next week in Saudi Arabia with the overall winner bagging a spot in the LIV Golf League for next year.

John Catlin currently leads the overall standings but is in danger of being caught as he sits in T27 on three under in Qatar, so will want a big finish to strengthen his chances.

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.