McIlroy hits second career hole-in-one on PGA return

Rory McIlroy marked his debut on this season's PGA Tour with a second career hole-in-one in the opening round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The four-time major champion, who started on the back nine at Spyglass Hill, flew his tee shot into the hole at the 119-yard, par-three 15th.

McIlroy's effort went into the hole without touching the green, moving him onto to three under par for the tournament and into an early share of the lead.

The Northern Irishman broke into celebration and shared an embrace with Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg and amateurs Jeff Rhodes and Jimmy Dunne.

The world number three's only previous hole-in-one on the PGA Tour came at the Travelers Championship in 2023.

It could be a good omen for him this weekend. The last time a player managed a hole-in-one on the 15th at Spyglass was Justin Rose in 2023, who went on to win the tournament.

Prior to this week, McIlroy had not played on the PGA Tour since the Tour Championship in early September, following a season in which he won four tournaments and finished second to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open.

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