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Aaron Cockerill makes ace in opening round at Yas Links
Rolex Series

Aaron Cockerill makes ace in opening round at Yas Links

Aaron Cockerill enjoyed a highlight moment as he produced a hole-in-one during the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The Canadian had turned in 33 but was in danger of letting a strong start slip when he made a double-bogey at the tenth and dropped another shot on the 12th.

But an ace on the 159-yard next saw him return to three under for the day as his nine-iron from the tee landed slightly right of the pin before feeding down to the cup.

Cockerill's ace meant he had a scorecard containing every number from one to six in his first 13 holes.

Coming into the week lying 47th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, with the top 50 progressing to next week's season-ending DP World Tour Championship, the 32-year-old finished with five consecutive pars to complete an opening 69 in the opening event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs.

Cockerill is the 31st different player to have made a hole-in-one on the DP World Tour on the 2024 Race to Dubai.

"That is my 11th [hole-in-one] of my career," he said in the Green Room. "Third on Tour I believe in the last three years.

"I had three-putted on the previous green so I was probably taking a more aggressive line than I should have. It was a back left pin, water off the right.

"It was just a chippy nine iron and it was perfect.

"My wife was up there [by the green] and she's always saying she wanted to see a hole-in-one and that was the first one she has seen, so a fun day."

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