How Many Holes-In-One Does Tiger Woods Have?

As one of the greatest players of all time, it is hardly surprising that the list of impressive statistics attributed to Tiger Woods is long – and one of them is the number of holes-in-one the 15-time Major winner has achieved.

Woods has 20 holes-in-one, although, perhaps surprisingly, only three of those came on the PGA Tour. Even more strangely, those came in three successive years, way back in the 1990s. The first of Woods' PGA Tour aces came in the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open in his debut appearance as a professional. He approached the tee at the par 3 14th and, using a 6-iron, hit the ball just below the flag. From there, it took two bounces before landing in the hole. 

Woods repeated the feat in the 1997 Phoenix Open at the par 3 16th hole. Using a 9-iron, Woods hit the ball, which took one bounce and landed in the hole, sending the predictably raucous crowd - and the man himself - wild. You can check out a video of the shot here.

Woods’ final PGA Tour hole-in-one to date came the year after in the Sprint International in Colorado on the 185-yard seventh hole with an 8-iron. It would be his last for more than 20 years.

While that accounts for three of Woods’ aces, how about the other 17? Understandably, many would have come in practice rounds and so are undocumented. However, there are details about Woods' first hole-in-one and his most recent. 

You need to go way back for the first of them, to when Woods was just eight, on the 12th hole at Heartwell Golf Course in Long Beach, California. Recalling the momentous occasion in 2018, Woods said: "I hit it and was too short to see it. So the ball carries the bunker, it rolls into the hole. Everybody in my group celebrates but me. I can’t see that high. So, one of the guys picks me up, shows me there’s no ball on the green. I’m excited – I run to the green, pick the ball out of the hole and I’m celebrating. And the kids came down and said: ‘You idiot, your golf bag’s up on the tee.’ So I had to go back up and get my golf bag."

Woods’ 20th and, to date, most recent hole-in-one came in 2018 at the Madison Club in La Quinta, California, during a friendly round with his pal Fred Couples and son Charlie. Using a 5-iron, Woods found the hole on the 208-yard second hole. Describing his first ace in two decades, Woods said: “We didn’t see it go in. Somehow when we got to the green it was gone. I thought it might be over the back but I said no, I hit it a lot softer than that. And we get up there and then it’s in the hole.”

While Woods’ haul of aces is undoubtedly impressive, it still falls a long way short of the most holes-in-one attributed to a PGA Tour player. That honour falls to Art Wall, who is generally accepted to have 45 aces. Compared to other greats of the game, Woods’ tally compares favourably. He has an equal number to arguably his sole rival to all-time great status, Jack Nicklaus. Meanwhile, Arnold Palmer had 21. On the other hand, Ben Hogan had only two career holes-in-one, despite a superb career that included nine Major wins.

Whether Woods adds to his tally remains to be seen. What is for certain is that, even as it stands, the American's haul of aces is yet another hugely impressive number in a career of remarkable achievements. 

Things You Didn't Know About Tiger Woods