Rahil Gangjee aces par-4 in Pennsylvania
CANONSBURG, Pa. – India’s Rahil Gangjee joined the rarest of company today when he made a hole-in-one on a par 4. Gangjee used a driver to ace the 15th hole in the final round of the Mylan Classic and became only the third player in Nationwide Tour history to accomplish the feat.“I wasn’t playing that great and the other day when the tee was up I was on the edge of the green so today I thought I could go for it,” said Gangjee of the hole that measured 316 yards Sunday. “I was just trying to get it on the green, that was it. When it’s a driveable hole, you think you can get it close and maybe make eagle but a hole-in-one, nobody thinks about that.”
Gangjee was one-over par through 14 holes at the Southpointe Golf Club in suburban Pittsburgh and decided to hit driver.
“The wind was blowing a little bit into us from the left and both my playing partners missed to the right,” he said. “I fade the ball anyway so it was an easier shot for me. I started it off left and let it go to the right and then it bounced and flattened out. I thought I saw the ball roll onto the green but I didn’t see it go in and then everyone around the green went nuts.”
This was Gangjee’s fourth career hole-in-one and the second in competition. His first came several years ago in Thailand when he aced a par-3 using a 7-iron.
Chip Beck was the first Nationwide Tour player to ace a par 4. Beck used a driver at the 315-yard, 9thhole in the first round of the 2003 Omaha Classic.
Richard Johnson also used a driver at the 347-yard, 15th hole in the final round of the Michael Hill New Zealand Open.
The last player on the PGA TOUR to make a hole-in-one on a par-4 was Andrew Magee at the 333-yard, 17thhole at the 2001 Phoenix Open in Scottsdale.
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