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Si Woo Kim hits first-ever hole-in-one on 17 at Royal Troon during The Open

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz07/20/24

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Si Woo Kim
© John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Moving Day at The Open saw some fireworks in the early morning hours in the U.S. Si Woo Kim hit a hole-in-one on the 17th hole – and he made history in the process.

Kim’s ace was the first ever on No. 17 at Royal Troon during an Open Championship. The shot took him to even par on the day, and with a par on the par-4 18th hole, headed in with a 71 on the third day of the tournament.

Royal Troon presented plenty of challenges for the players to start The Open, and Kim had his struggles, as well. He shot a 5-over 76 on the first day before rebounding with back-to-back 71s to head into Sunday’s final round at +5.

Despite the struggles around the leaderboard, Shane Lowry remained in full control entering Saturday’s third round. He held a two-shot lead at 7-under, sitting two shots ahead of British stars Daniel Brown and Justin Rose, who both are in second at 5-under.

Even despite the conditions at Royal Troon, Lowry said he had a good feel for his game and used a strong finish to end Friday’s second round at 2-under. His focus immediately turned to Moving Day, and he knows he can’t let up on the gas.

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“I was in control of my ball, did all the right things for a lot of the round,” Lowry said, via the AP. “Then when I got in a bit of trouble, I feel like I really finished the round well. I’m pretty happy with the day. To be leading this tournament after two days, it’s why you come here. It’s why we’re here.”

Other players weren’t as fortunate as Lowry, though. Justin Thomas went from a 3-under 68 in the first round to a 7-over 78 in the second before bouncing back on Saturday. Other top players such as Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Ludvig Åberg missed the cut entirely.

That’s why Lowry is going to keep his attention on his game – and only his game. He doesn’t want to get caught up in what everyone else is doing as he looks to bring home the Claret Jug.

“I know tomorrow is going to be a long day, but I’ve done it before,” Lowry said. “For me, it’s just about going out and playing my own game, shooting the best score I can. Try not to worry about what other people are doing and just trying to take care of your own personal stuff.”