Rory McIlroy records first ace in PGA Tour career, follows with a barkie

Even after 13 years, Rory McIlroy still has some things to check off his PGA Tour bucket list.

Case in point: until Thursday, the 34-year-old had never recorded a hole-in-one on Tour, but that changed on his 3,253rd-career par 3.

McIlroy teed up at the par-3 eighth during the first round of the Travelers Championship Thursday afternoon, hitting a 5-iron from 214 yards out that subsequently took a small bounce on the green a few feet out and rolled right into the cup.

Clearly, the golf gods decided a consolation prize was in order for McIlroy’s seemingly umpteenth close call at a major last week at the U.S. Open, when he finished solo second behind Wyndham Clark. McIlroy hasn’t won a major since 2014.

While McIlroy’s best finish to date at TPC River Highlands is T-11 (2020), his bid to finally win the fan-favorite tournament is off to a good start. He followed the ace with two-straight birdies, including a barkie (birdie after hitting a tree) on the ensuing par-4 ninth.

You know the Northern Irishman is having a good day when he makes par on the par-4 12th, aka his “arch nemesis” at the Travelers — “Never played that hole well,” McIlroy said in a pre-tournament interview.

As of publishing, McIlroy is 3 under and T-25, setting up a promising weekend of golf with the guise of luck on his side.