Teenage Golfer Aldrich Potgieter Achieves Remarkable Par-4 Hole-in-One at PGA Tour Qualifier Despite Being Unaware

A Rare Achievement on the Golf Course

As extraordinary as holes in one are, they typically occur on short par threes. However, once in a blue moon, an even rarer type of ace takes place that leaves everyone astonished.

That blue moon rose over teenage golfer Aldrich Potgieter on Monday during a qualifying event for the John Deere Classic at Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Illinois. The 18-year-old South African accomplished something truly remarkable – he sent the ball soaring 345 yards from the par-four 17th tee and straight into the cup with just one stroke.

This feat is incredibly rare as only one par-four ace has ever been recorded in a competitive PGA Tour event. Andrew Magee achieved this tremendous albatross at the 332-yard 17th hole of the 2001 Waste Management Phoenix Open. However, since Potgieter’s achievement didn’t come at an official Tour event, Magee’s record remains unmatched.

Magee’s hole-out was shrouded in bizarre circumstances as his shot deflected off fellow pro Tom Byrum’s putter – who happened to be playing ahead of him – before finding its way into the cup. Since it did not hit his own equipment, rules officials deemed it valid.

An Incredible Moment Caught by Surprise

Potgieter’s ace was less peculiar but equally astonishing for him since he didn’t witness it firsthand.

“That was really exciting, and it was kind of a weird moment,” Potgieter recalled when interviewed by the PGA Tour. “I didn’t see it go in, so I didn’t know. Kind of a blind tee shot, but … when I saw my caddie run out to the fairway, pumping his arms and going wild, I thought it was probably like a foot or two. “And he said no, it was in the hole. So it wasn’t like one you see on a par 3 where you go wild with the crowd. It was kind of a quiet moment to yourself where you’re like, ‘I still can’t believe that happened.'”

A Bittersweet Ending

Although Potgieter achieved something extraordinary on that day, it turned out to be bittersweet as he narrowly missed qualifying for Thursday’s tournament by just one stroke.

His impressive six-under 66 fell agonizingly short of securing him one of the four coveted spots available in the 87-player field. However, American duo Reid Martin and Anders Larson managed to secure their first-ever PGA Tour event appearances while Japanese pair Yuto Katsuragawa and Kaito Onishi will also make their respective fifth and third starts.

A Promising Future Ahead

Potgieter may have missed out this time around, but there is no doubt that his future looks bright. Ranked at World No. 1275, he made waves earlier this year with a respectable 65th place finish at the US Open in June.

In addition to this recent accomplishment at Pinnacle Country Club, Potgieter became the second youngest winner in the history of the Amateur Championship back in June 2022. Despite being ranked only 140th among amateur golfers worldwide at that time, he emerged victorious and joined an elite group as only the third South African ever to lift this prestigious trophy.