PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. – Major champion Daniel Kang recorded his first hole-in-one of the 2024 LPGA Tour season at the FIR Hills SERI PAK Championship on Thursday, acing the par-3 11th hole at Palos Verdes Golf Club 174. 5-iron with her.
It was Kang's fifth appearance on the LPGA Tour and his first ace since hitting the par-3 8th hole in the final round of the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand. While hole-in-ones always require a bit of luck, the six-time LPGA Tour winner knew she hit the ball well when it left the face, and she was right when the ball found its bottom. Cup, a surprise for her and her teammates.
„It was luck sometimes, but I absolutely cleaned it up,” Kang said. „I believe it was 170 yards. I was trying to play it 160, 165 and let it run up the hole. I hit my 5-iron where I wanted to hit it and we all stared at it and Andrea (Lee) responded really well. She said, ' She was like, 'Oh my God, oh, my God.' She screamed.”
It is the 17th time Kang has recorded an ace in his career, a remarkable history spanning two golf careers as an amateur and a professional. She won the 2010 US Women's Amateur Under-17 Championship with a birdie on the 35th hole, which was No. 17 at Charlotte Country Club.
As a professional, Kang captured her only major title at the 2017 KPMG Women's PGA Championship and later played on her first winning US Solheim Cup team that same year.
He has also encountered some strange coincidences, such as the 17th day of the month or the 17th hole of the golf course. Even today's pass is a bit scary considering it was about 170 yards away.
“Seventeen is my number. This is my lucky number,” said Kang. “I had four holes on the 17th. I putt a five on the 17th hole. I three holed the 17 numbered ball on the 17th hole. A lot has happened in 17, which is my lucky number. Then I waited a while for my 17 hole-in-one.
Through Ace, CME Group will donate $20,000 on Kong's behalf to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as part of their CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude. The Challenge is a seasonal charitable giving program that turns aces into donations with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude's to improve how the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Kang will have the honor of contributing the first $20,000 to the 2024 CME Group Cares Challenge, and while today's hole-in-one is certainly special for many reasons, he's still excited to contribute to childhood cancer research. , many thanks to CME Group for the opportunity.
„I think it's great that CME is donating to good causes and partnering with the LPGA to make a difference in people's lives,” said the LPGA Tour veteran. „It definitely gives us a little more drive to do better and do better. It doesn't matter if it's a dollar or a hundred (dollars), no matter how much money, it can change someone's life. I really appreciate them donating it.
„Całkowity introwertyk. Nieprzejednany specjalista od sieci. Przyjazny fanatyk bekonu. Student ekstremalnych. Miłośnik piwa. Organizator.”