Sports

Thai golfer scores hole-in-one at US Open at Pebble Beach

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee aced the par-three fifth at Pebble Beach Saturday, the first hole-in-one of the 2010 U.S. Open, AFP reported.

Thongchai used an eight-iron from 180 yards (165m) at the hole, which was set up to play from the right side of the tee to a front-left pin.

He and caddie Suruwat Wannapintu saw the ball kick perfectly off the right side of the green toward the pin and roll in.

“Everybody on the left side stood up,” Thongchai said of the reaction in the grandstand.

“It was a very good bounce. I’m very happy with that.”

The ace came right after Thongchai took a double-bogey six at the fourth — where the tee markers were moved up 40 paces to tempt players to try to drive the green.

He started the day 10 shots off the lead — making the cut on the line — and posted a three-over 74 in the third round for a 10-over total of 223.

The hole-in-one, and an eagle at the par-four third on Friday, were welcome highlights on a Pebble Beach course that has been tough going for the world’s best golfers.

“So many three-putts, so many double-bogeys,” he said. “You miss on the wrong side it’s difficult to make up-and-down.”

Thongchai, the first man to win three Asian Order of Merit crowns, was named player of the year by his Asian Tour peers last year.

His Masters campaign was cut short by injury as an elbow injury forced him to withdraw from the second round at Augusta in April.

The hole-in-one for the former Thai paratrooper was the 41st known ace in U.S. Open history, according to the U.S. Golf Association.