Amanda Balionis Drops 7-Word Reaction as PGA Tour Pro Follows Rory McIlroy to Earn Big Pebble Beach Feat

The action at the Pebble Beach Golf Links has already begun. While the bets were on Scottie Scheffler stealing the limelight with his season debut, it was someone else who stole the show on course. Yes, it was Shane Lowry. He made an incredible ace at Pebble Beach Golf Links’ iconic par-3 seventh hole during Thursday’s first AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am round. It was his 16th hole of the day. 

The shot, downhill par 3, located by the Pacific Ocean and one of golf’s most photographed spots, set the stage for a memorable moment. Lowry’s wedge from 113 yards landed just short, about 25 feet from the flag, took a solid bounce, and rolled straight into the hole. Overcome with excitement, he threw his hands in the air and hugged his pro-am partner Jamie Sahara, while playing partner Aaron Rai joined in the celebration.

This is only the eighth ace at the course’s seventh hole in history, and the third ace made by Lowry. Before this, he made a hole-in-one at the 2022 PLAYERS Championship, on this seventeenth hole during the third round, and on Augusta National’s sixteenth hole during the final round of the 2016 Masters. The feat shared by Justin Ray left golf reporter Amanda Balionis exceptionally impressed. She shared the post on her story, and wrote, “I mean. Is there a better list???”

But well, Shane Lowry was not the only Irishman who stole the show. It was indeed a great day for fan favorite Rory McIlroy too.

Rory McIlroy cards an ace on the fifteenth hole

Rory McIlroy made a spectacular hole-in-one on the par-3 15th at Spyglass Hill during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. His ball flew straight into the cup, sparking a wide grin and high-fives with his caddie and playing partners, including Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Åberg. The ace moved McIlroy from 1-under to 3-under, and he finished the day with a 6-under 66, two shots behind first-round leader Russell Henley at the season’s second Signature Event.

This marked McIlroy’s second career hole-in-one, following his first at the 2023 Travelers Championship on the eighth hole at TPC River Highlands. “It’s such an elevated tee that the ball’s in the air and you know it’s online but you don’t know whether to say go or sit or spin or release or whatever. It’s sort of weird, you’re looking at it and you’re sort of watching where it might land on the green and the thing just disappears,” McIlroy said afterward. Unlike Scottie Scheffler, he did manage to make it to the headlines during his season debut! What are your thoughts on the performances of the Irishmen? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post Amanda Balionis Drops 7-Word Reaction as PGA Tour Pro Follows Rory McIlroy to Earn Big Pebble Beach Feat appeared first on EssentiallySports.