Defending U.S. Open champion makes ace, neglects to watch it drop

Matt Fitzpatrick had just hit one of the most memorable shots of his career. One problem: He didn’t see it through.

On the 15th hole Friday during the second round of the U.S. Open, the defending champion flipped a wedge just beyond the flagstick on the 115-yard par-3. The ball kicked off the knob in the middle of the green and rolled into the cup for a hole-in-one.

But Fitzpatrick wasn’t watching.

The Peacock broadcast had a camera fixed on the 28-year-old Englishman as he hit the shot and stared it down until it safely hit the green. But then he looked away and started walking down toward the green.

Even as the crowd by the green grew louder as his ball inched toward the hole, Fitzpatrick didn’t flinch. When his ball found the bottom of the cup, he appeared to be looking down at his shoes.

It was only when he looked at his playing partners that someone must have told Fitzpatrick he just made his first career PGA Tour ace.

Fitzpatrick is the first defending U.S. Open champion to make an ace in the event’s history, and it came at the perfect time. Fitzpatrick shot 71 Thursday and parred his first five holes Friday, meaning he was just one shot inside the projected cut line. The hole-in-one propelled him to one under for the tournament.

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The ace was the third of the week at 15, which has yet to play its shortest possible length of 78 yards that is expected for Saturday. Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns both had holes-in-one on Thursday, making this just the second U.S. Open where three or more aces have been recorded.

The 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill (this year’s PGA Championship host site) was the only Open to produce three or more aces, with four coming within two hours of one other during the second round. Friday marks the 34th anniversary of the legendary “Four Aces.“