RICKIE FOWLER MADE A HOLE-IN-ONE AT ONE OF GOLF’S MOST FAMOUS COURSES

Back in January, Justin Thomas was asked by reporters about a course he hasn’t played but would like to. The answer was immediate—Pine Valley Golf Club, ranked as the No. 1 course on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Courses list. JT described how stoked he was to be making his maiden voyage in April along with a group of buddies.

It appears that trip to Pine Valley got even more special. Word is that Rickie Fowler was one of those buddies with him on the trip—and Fowler made a hole-in-one on Pine Valley’s third hole on Wednesday morning. Fowler reportedly used a 7-iron from 182 yards.

Pine Valley’s third hole is an ideal setting for an ace. The elevated tee box provides a perfect view of the green—meaning Fowler and his buddies likely were able to see the ball find the bottom of the cup on the putting surface that rolls sharply right to left.

(UPDATE (4/25/24): Video surfaced on Thursday morning of Rickie's hole-in-one, which appears to have been captured by either a playing partner or caddie.)

Here’s the view from the tee box, courtesy of our recently updated “Every Hole At” video of Pine Valley:

Carlos Amoedo

And here's footage of Pine Valley's third hole from our "Every Hole At: Pine Valley" video:

Here's a photo shared by a Rickie Fowler fan account on X -- looks like two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning was also present on Wednesday:

We're also told that Fowler's ace wasn't the only one at Pine Valley on Wednesday. Sean Pence of Newport Beach, Calif., also made a hole-in-one on the third hole—this one coming from the club's regular tees at 168 yards. Pence used a 6-iron. We're told Pence had to hustle to the airport after his round, so he wasn't able to grab a photo with Fowler.

Private Pine Valley Golf Club Pine Valley, NJ 5 267 Panelists

A genuine original, its unique character is forged from the sandy pine barrens of southwest Jersey. Founder George Crump had help from now-legendary architects H.S. Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, George C. Thomas Jr. and Walter Travis. Hugh Wilson (of Merion fame) and his brother Alan finished the job, and William Flynn and Perry Maxwell made revisions. Throughout the course, Pine Valley blends all three schools of golf design—penal, heroic and strategic—often times on a single hole. Recent tree removal at selected spots have revealed some gorgeous views of the sandy landscape upon which the course is routed, and bunker reconstruction by Tom Fazio has given the barrens a more intricate and ornate look. Explore our full review

Fowler is no stranger to holes-in-one. The five-time PGA Tour winner has three aces in his career on tour, most recently holing his tee shot at the seventh hole during the final round of the 2023 WM Phoenix Open. He also just took down the Par-3 Contest at this year’s Masters Tournament—so we know Fowler has been throwing darts on one-shotters at the moment.

Here's the ace from last year's WM Phoenix Open:

We’ll venture to say that an ace at a bucket list course—playing alongside some buddies—ranks among the top holes-in-one that Fowler’s had in his life. Though Pine Valley’s no-phone policies might’ve prohibited Fowler from having the moment on camera, we’d also hope that his buddies might’ve taken a photo that will be shared on social media once the group’s trip is complete. Stay tuned!

2024-04-24T21:07:22Z dg43tfdfdgfd