After two days of heavy winds and brutal scoring conditions at the British Open, Royal Troon Golf Club is finally yielding some low scores in the third round. No one went lower than Si Woo Kim on the par-3 17th hole.
Kim ripped a piercing iron shot into the 238-yard monster of a hole, and his ball bounded forward from the fairway and trundled into the cup for an incredible ace. The South Korean could barely believe his luck.
An ace on the 17th for Si Woo Kim. pic.twitter.com/tPg2PKTm1x
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2024
Kim's brilliant shot was the first hole-in-one of the week at Royal Troon. According to Justin Ray of The Athletic, it also marked the longest ace in British Open history (since 1980).
Kim isn't the only one putting up low scores in Scotland. Royal Troon plays the easiest it has all week due to the calm winds and light precipitation. Adam Scott and Sungjae Im jumped up the leaderboard with a pair of 5-under 66s. Justin Thomas is currently 5 under through 13, and South African Thriston Lawrence is looking to challenge the course record after his 6 under start through 10.
The wind and rain are expected to pick up as the afternoon wears on. For now, though, this is shaping up to be a dramatic Moving Day with birdies available for the taking. Shane Lowry leads the championship by two shots at 7 under par, but his lead isn't safe under these scoring conditions.
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