Stepping up to the tee on a Par 3, taking dead aim at the flag, and draining a hole-in-one. It’s a dream scenario for the common golfer.
Meanwhile, nearly every week it seems as if there’s a PGA pro hitting a hole-in-one on Tour.
In fact, some NY sportsbooks and many others around the country offer a pre-tournament “Will There Be a Hole-In-One?” prop bet.
While the odds vary depending on course conditions (and the number of Par 3s per 18 holes), the likelihood of a hole-in-one — AKA an “ace” — is often the favored option.
But how many pro golfers actually have a hole-in-one on their resume? EmpireStakes.com – your source for NY sports betting apps – is here to tell you.
The PGA Tour website lists 243 active golfers this season. Using the PGA Tour’s media guide, we found the number of active golfers who’ve circled a “1” on their scorecard since the Tour began tracking hole-in-one stats beginning in 1983.
How Many PGA Golfers Have Hit a Hole-In-One?
While it’s worth noting some pro golfers have been playing for more than 25 years, and others for less than a few months, more than half of PGA golfers have at least one hole-in-one.
In betting terms, 52.7% would be represented as -111 in American odds. While sportsbooks might not be offering it, what promising young golfer would you bet at those odds to make an ace before his career is over?
The two golfers with the most holes-in-one on the PGA Tour are Australia’s Robert Allenby and Major champion Hal Sutton. They each have made 10 total aces. Among active golfers on the PGA Tour, these are the leaders.
Active Golfers with Most Holes-In-One
- 7: Greg Chalmers
- 6: Scott Brown, Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III
The average age of the cohort above is 49.6 and the average number of PGA Tour wins is 9.6. However, in the win category, Furyk (with 17) and Love III (21) are certainly juicing up these numbers. Cink is no slouch, either. He has eight total wins, most recently at the 2021 RBC Heritage.
Despite carding the most holes-in-one, Chalmers, from Australia, only has a single PGA Tour win. He does, however, have eight international wins.
You might think that making an ace would give you a better chance of winning the tournament, but golfers who’ve made a hole-in-one in a tournament have gone on to win only 15 times since 1983. Most recently, Justin Rose won at Pebble Beach earlier this year after shooting a 1 on 15 in the second round.
In fact, several of the best golfers in the world have not made a hole-in-one at a PGA event.
Top 25 PGA Golfers in World Rankings Without a Hole-In-One
- Rory McIlroy
- Collin Morikawa
- Sam Burns
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Tyrell Hatton
Of those listed above, McIlroy is the oldest and has been a pro the longest. He recently missed out on completing the career Grand Slam when he missed the cut at The Masters. Perhaps he’ll complete another career milestone by nabbing his first ace on tour this season.
Besides that and a green jacket, there’s not much Rory hasn’t accomplished. He has 23 career wins on Tour, including two PGA Championships, a British Open championship and a U.S. Open title. He also has earned more than $73 million during his career and been a member of four teams that won the Ryder Cup.
As for the next Major, McIlroy is listed as the third favorite (+1000) – behind Jon Rahm (+750) and Scottie Scheffler (+900) - by DraftKings NY for the PGA Championship May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.
In case you need more evidence that holes-in-one do not necessarily correlate to golf greatness, the most dominant player in PGA history, Tiger Woods, has made only two aces on Tour. But in typical Tiger fashion, he managed to hit one in his very first professional start.
Whether you are Tiger Woods or Greg Chalmers, winning a PGA Tour event is incredibly difficult. Most amateur golfers only can dream of such an accomplishment.
On the other hand, handicaps of all sizes have at least a shot at making an ace in their lifetime.
Since 2002, The National Hole-In-One Registry has been tracking aces across America. According to their data, there are more than 128,000 holes-in-one each year, with one made every 3,500 rounds.
And if you haven’t made one yet, keep at it. The average golfer has been playing for 24 years before he or she gets their first ace — with 60% of those folks over the age of 50.
With golf courses finally opening up across New York, you might be just one swing away from the shot of a lifetime. And while you honor hole-in-one tradition at the 19th hole, check out NY sportsbook promos to try your luck some more.
