Si Woo Kim

One of the best moments of his career, and Si Woo Kim did not even see it.

The Korean hit a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th and only knew when spectators started cheering.

Kim has added his name to the record books in two ways, for the longest hole-in-one since The Open’s full records began in 1981 at 238 yards.

It is also the first known ace on the 17th at Royal Troon in an Open with none recorded across the five most recent Championships, including the low-scoring 145th Open in 2016.

“My caddie told me you'd better hit hard with a 3-iron,” Kim explained, “So I did, and as soon as I did, the contact was good. I saw the ball go over the fringe and thought that must be maybe inside 20 feet.

“So I took the tee out off the ground and went back to the bag and there were people yelling at me. 

“I didn't realise the ball was in the hole.”

The crowds erupted around him and it was only then that a shocked Kim broke into a huge smile and shared a laugh with his caddie Manuel Villegas.

Kim, who signed for a level-par 71 to sit at five-over-par for the week, has made the first ace of The 152nd Open at Royal Troon on the hole known as The Rabbit. He dropped three shots in the first two days but it is his bunny now. 

And while this was not Kim’s first hole-in-one, it is the most sentimental.

He added: “I was not doing very well, and then I was feeling terrible for my shots the last couple days.

“Then finally I got the best golf shot I've had this week. That goes in, and that makes it more special, especially at a major and The Open here.

“I wasn't happy with the 17th on Thursday. I made double, and I made a three-putt again yesterday. Finally, I got the hole-in-one, so I think I like it now.”